Confident Massaro storms into Hong Kong Open final to set date with David
English player can become the new world number one, but she has to get past the sport’s greatest player first at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre
High-flying Laura Massaro stormed into the women’s final of the HK$1.9 million Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open after sending home world number one Raneem El Weleily of Egypt on Saturday.
A straight game win over the top seed has put the 32-year-old English player in her third consecutive world series final after winning both titles at the Qatar Classic and the US Open.
I have won the last two world series and I guess I can’t really get any more confident than I am now
Massaro lost all three of her previous encounters to the same opponent this year but this time proved too strong for Welily in a 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 win in 33 minutes.
READ: Massaro targets Hong Kong squash title
At stake will also be the world number one spot for Massaro, current ranked second in the world, when she takes on defending champion Nicol David in the special glass court at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre.
The Malaysian hardly broke into a sweat following a quick fire 11-4, 11-5, 11-2 win over Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt and expects a tough battle against Massaro after losing to the English player twice this year.
The former world number one, David has won 10 times in a row in Hong Kong, including nine straight Hong Kong Open titles and one World Open title in 2005.
