Photo: PSA Squash Tour
PETALING JAYA: It was the end of the road for Malaysian No. 2 women's squash player Rachel Arnold as the defending China Open champion conceded defeat to soon-to-be world No. 1 Hania El Hammamy in the quarter-finals in Shanghai.
Rachel found the current world No. 2 a tough nut to crack as she went down 7-11, 1-11, 11-6, 6-11 in 36 minutes. The 25-year-old El Hammamy will be the new world No. 1 for the first time next week by making it to the last four and she capped that with a clinical display against Rachel.
But it was to Rachel's credit that she managed to take a game off the Egyptian, whom she had never beaten before in five previous encounters.
Rachel had booked her place in the last eight after beating world No. 12 Nele Gilis of Belgium 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6 for the first time in six encounters.
The 29-year-old Rachel was the only Malaysian representative left in the China Open following the exits of the Azman sisters earlier. World No. 25 Aira Azman was outclassed by world No. 3 Amina Orfi of Egypt 3-11, 4-11, 6-11 while her elder sister, Aifa, ranked 32nd in the world, lost to Egypt's world No. 13 Salma Hany 6-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-13.
