Top Seed Landers-Murphy Clinches Barossa Valley Title
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Seed Landers-Murphy Clinches Barossa Valley Title
Amanda Landers-Murphy overcame
third seed Tong Tsz-Wing to clinch the Toyota Barossa Valley
Open 2013 at the Rex Barossa Aquatic Centre, Tanunda, South
Australia.
After falling at the final hurdle in last year’s event, the top seed
from New Zealand improved her form after last week’s disappointing exit
in the City of Perth semis, to progress to Sunday’s final having dropped
just one game on route.
The world No.37 began the Tour5 event by dispatching compatriot Abbie
Palmer, followed by Alexandra Fullerof South Africa in round
two. A second game wobble against tenth seed Lisa Camilleri was
the only blemish on the 22-year-olds run through to her ninth WSA career
final, after a straight games defeat of unseeded Korean Kim Ga-Hye in
the semi’s.
In the final she faced Tong Tsz-Wing in the Hong Kong national’s first
final of her career. Tsz-Wing saw wins against Korean pair Bae Chan
Mi and Ahn Eun Chan in the opening rounds, followed by the
defeat of Jessica Turnbull and an hour-long five-game battle
against second seeded compatriot Liu Tsz-Ling in the semi-final.
The higher seed took the initiative in a narrow opening game, but the
20-year-old Tsz-wing fought back well in the second. Landers-Murphy
regained the upper hand in claiming the third, before the exertions of
the No.3 seed’s semi-final began to take their toll, allowing the Kiwi
to complete the win in four games.
The Barossa Valley Open is Landers-Murphy’s fourth WSA career win, her
first of 2013 and the New Zealand national is also seeded to win next
week’s South Australia Open, in which Tsz-Wing is seeded fourth.