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It's Brown's Day In Dayton
Australia's Kasey Brown ended a 20-month WISPA World
Tour title drought at the Women's EBS Dayton Open when she beat
England's Sarah Kippax in the final of the $21,350 WISPA World Tour
squash event in its fourth year at Dayton Squash Centre in Dayton
in the US state of Ohio.
The world No12 from New South Wales dropped two games en-route to
the final – but the New York-based 24-year-old got the better of third seed
Kippax in straight games, winning 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 in 31 minutes.
"Although Sarah kept it close in game one, it was clear that
Kasey planed to dominate the T, dominate the front of the court, and dominate
the match," said tournament organiser Charlie Johnson. "Both of the
first two games had some incredible rallies, where Sarah was fighting hard to
find the form she had last time she played Kasey and took her to five games, but
she just couldn't find it."
At the awards ceremony, Sarah was gracious in defeat and thanked
the sponsors for supporting the event and thanked promoter Charlie Johnson for
all the attention to the players' needs over the course of the event.
"Kasey echoed these thanks and also mentioned how great it was to
see the strength of junior play on-site and how it illustrates the growth and
popularity of the game," Johnson added. "Both players promised to come back
next year when we again host the Dayton Open in conjunction with the largest
junior tournament in the Midwest."
It was a confidence-boosting win for Brown in her first Tour
final appearance since August 2008 – and takes her Tour tally to ten titles
since winning her first at the WA Open on home soil in May 2005.
Kippax & Kasey To Contest Dayton Climax
Top-seeded Australian Kasey Brown and England's Sarah
Kippax, the third seed, will meet in the final of the Women's EBS Dayton
Open after prevailing in straight games' semi-finals of the $21,350 WISPA
World Tour squash event at Dayton Squash Centre in Dayton in
the US state of Ohio.
"Kasey was pushed hard in the opening game by Joelle King of New
Zealand," said tournament organiser Charlie Johnson. "They played long,
impressively physical rallies, trading points until finally Kasey pushed through
to win this long game in a tie-breaker at 14-12.
"Joelle seemed a bit let down in the second game after all the
energy expended in the first game that lasted well over 15 minutes, but kept it
even, again trading winning rallies until the game got to five-all and Joelle
then let Kasey go on a six-point run to win the game.
"The third and final game was similar to the second - trading
points up to seven-all and before Kasey broke away and won the last four points
to take the match."
Brown's 14-12, 11-5, 11-7 win over the fifth seed takes the
24-year-old from New South Wales into the 18th WISPA Tour final of her career.
"The large crowd on hand, consisting of patrons and sponsors,
parents of all the junior players on hand for the Junior Championships, and MOST
IMPORTANTLY, many of the junior players who were watching wide-eyed at the
previous match, now saw one of their own, 17-year-old American qualifier
Olivia Blatchford (ranked 70 in the world) step on court to battle world
No28 Sarah Kippax of England for a place in the championship match,"
added Johnson.
After a nervous start by the teenager, Blatchford stretched
Kippax to a tie-break in the second game – and led 5-2 in the third.
But Kippax pushed through from nine-all to clinch the match 11-6,
12-10, 11-9.
The 26-year-old from Cheshire is celebrating her first Tour final
of the year, but the 13th of her career.
King Cruises Into Dayton Semis
Fast-rising New Zealand star Joelle King secured a
surprise place in the semi-finals of the Women's EBS Dayton Open when she
cruised to a straight games upset over fourth-seeded Dane Line Hansen in
the quarter-finals of the $21,350 WISPA World Tour squash event at
Dayton Squash Centre in Dayton in the US state of Ohio.
"Despite the seeding difference, Joelle seemed to be the player
with the most control," said tournament organiser Charlie Johnson after
King's 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 victory in 34 minutes.
"She hit shots with more definition and put constant pressure on
Line. There were long rallies where each girl tried to overpower the other
(hence the 34-minute match with a fairly routine score), but in the end, power
with control beats power every time!"
The 21-year-old world No30 will now face Kasey Brown, the
top seed from Australia – ranked 18 places higher - who beat sixth seed Alana
Miller 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 13-11.
"Kasey was challenged by the Canadian in a 55-minute match that
was easily the crowd favourite of the night," explained Johnson. "Alana has
played in all four WISPA events held as part of the EBS Dayton Open and has won
the hearts of local squash fans.
"She played well, fought hard, won game two using her stature to
cut balls off and stay on the T and out front, but ultimately lost on a
heartbreaking great shot from Kasey who was up 12-11 in the fourth game with
match ball. Both players were gracious and thanked the spirited crowd for their
support."
US teenager Olivia Blatchford – who came through the first
round at the expense of injured second-seeded compatriot Latasha Khan -
took full advantage of her surprise quarter-final place by upsetting Canada's
eighth seed Miranda Ranieri 11-8, 11-8, 11-6 to earn a place in the last
four.
The 17-year-old from New York, ranked 70 in the world, will now
face England's world No28 Sarah Kippax, the No3 seed from Cheshire who
despatched Australian Lisa Camilleri 11-5, 11-1, 11-9 in just 28 minutes.
Blatchford Progresses In Dayton
US teenager Olivia Blatchford progressed unexpectedly to
the quarter-finals of the Women's EBS Dayton Open - but the success was
at the expense of injured compatriot Latasha Khan in the first round of
the $21,350 WISPA World Tour squash event at Dayton Squash Centre
in Dayton, in the US state of Ohio.
"Feeling something had been wrong for a while with her upper left
leg - quadriceps area – Latasha thought it felt good enough to play our event
and not withdraw, but in the first game she knew something was seriously hurting
her and the feisty American qualifier Olivia Blatchford played hard to win the
first game 11- 3," said tournament organiser Charlie Johnson.
"Not wanting to disappoint the crowd, Latasha tried to continue
but it was just too painful. She retired after losing the first three points of
game two."
Blatchford, a 17-year-old qualifier from New York, will now face
Miranda Ranieri, the eighth seed from Canada who also overcame a fellow
countrywoman, qualifier Carolyn Russell, 11-1, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10.
In another national clash, top seed Kasey Brown was
stretched to four games before beating fellow Australian Amelia Pittock
11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8.
The world No12 from New South Wales will now face Canadian
Alana Miller, the sixth seed, for a place in the last four.
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