Gohar defeat will prove ‘valuable’ for Ho Tsz-lok

Local star takes on board a lesson of stamina in loss to world No 1 woman at Hong Kong Open

Local women’s star Ho Tsz-lok says the experience of playing against the world’s best would only help at the Women’s World Team Championship next month.

The Hongkonger was brushed aside in straight games by world No 1 Nouran Gohar yesterday, but called the 32-minute defeat at the Hong Kong Open “valuable experience”.

“I may well be the lead player at the team world championship next month, hence it is likely I will be playing Gohar again, or other top-ranked players from around the world,” she said.

Playing on centre court for the first time at the tournament, Ho put her home advantage to good use and came out firing, but her opponent’s greater stamina eventually told, and Gohar took the first game 11-8.

After the restart, Ho was no match for the dominant Egyptian who took the next two games 11-5, 11-4 to set up a third-round encounter with England’s Jasmine Hutton.

“Her stamina, speed, and strength were superior, and she kept her edge throughout,” Ho said. “I tried to slow her down midway through the game by placing the ball higher, but those efforts were in vain.”

Having set her sights on “stealing a set” from Gohar, Ho said the match would have been closer if “I had better stamina”.

“World No 36 playing the No 1, the difference was not as big as the rankings suggested, but it certainly was when my stamina dropped,” she said.

Ho’s compatriot Lee Ka-yi also crashed out in the second round, losing 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 to world No 3 Hania El Hammamy from Egypt in 27 minutes.

Ho and Lee, alongside Simmi Chan Sin-yuk and reigning Asian women’s champion Tong Tszwing, head to Egypt next Tuesday to take part in the 17-team championship, which starts on December 10.

Ho, who was a member of the team that won the Asian Team Championships in Korea earlier this month, believes the quartet can repeat the success of 2016 and 2018, when Hong Kong won bronze.

“As the top-eight seed, I would like to win a medal,” she said. “We did snatch the bronze on two occasions, for sure it is going to be difficult this year, but this has to be our target.”

Defending women’s champion Joelle King extended her winning run to 13 matches.

The difference was not as big as the rankings suggested, but it was when my stamina dropped

HO TSZ-LOK

On the back of winning the New Zealand Open and last week’s Singapore Open, the world No 4 Kiwi breezed past England’s Lucy Beecroft 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 in just 28 minutes.

Defending men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy knocked out Ng Eain Yow, of Malaysia, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5.

The world No 3, who boasts a 100 per cent record in Hong Kong stretching back to 2014, said: “The Hong Kong Open is a good tournament that has the most history after the British Open. A tournament like Hong Kong is very important for our sport, I am really happy to be back here.”

ElShorbagy will face Ivan Yuen in the third round today. In two previous meetings, the 31-yearold star has lost just one game to the Malaysian.