Brushing aside all opposition in the country's biggest international
squash event, local star Misaki Kobayashi claimed her third
successive Women's Pro Squash in Japan title after beating South
African Siyoli Waters in today's final of the Tokyo
championship at Spa Shirokane in the Japan capital.
The
highest-ranked Japanese player of all-time, 24-year-old Kobayashi
(pictured above in action with Waters) reached the final of the
WSA Tour 10 event - her ninth on the Tour - without dropping a game.
The
top seed despatched Hong Kong's sixth seed Vanessa Chu in the
semi-finals, while Waters also saw off Hong Kong opposition in the other
semi after beating third seed Liu Tsz-Ling in four games.
The
Tokyo-born world No36 raced away in the final to take the opening game
for the loss of just a single point - but second seed Waters, who
overtook Kobayashi to claim a world No33 ranking in the latest WSA list,
regrouped in the second to draw level.
But
spurred on by local support, Kobayashi survived the next two games to
secure an 11-1, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9 title triumph after just 38 minutes to
win her third WSA title on home soil since September 2010.
"I'm
really happy to win this title again in my country," said the delighted
Kobayashi (pictured above with promoter Miyuki Adachi). "I
don't play many local tournaments so my family don't really get to watch
my matches - so today I just wanted to play well and I'm glad that I
came through."
The
win also marks the seventh WSA Tour title of Kobayashi's career.
