Queensland’s Lisa Camilleri made it five tournaments in a row when she downed top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee in five games in the final of the Tasmanian Open squash tournament in Hobart on Sunday.
Camilleri had to come from 2/1 down in the decider to outlast the Malaysian 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 and claim her 11th title on the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association (WISPA) tour.
In the men’s final South Australia’s Mike Corren notched up his 28th win on the men’s professional tour when he saw off a tenacious Nathan Stevenson 11-8, 11-7, 11-5.
Camilleri, the world number 39, and the 34th ranked Wee are separated by only five places on the WISPA rankings and they were evenly matched throughout.
After losing the first game Wee came back to win the next two, only for Camilleri to regroup and take the match into a decider.
“That last game was close,” Camilleri said. “It was 5-5, then 6-6, but then Sharon seemed to fall into a bit of a hole – but it was a pretty exciting match.”
The 27-year-old from Tully in North Queensland has now won all five tournaments on the 2010 Australian Squash Tour so far.
She plays the NSW Classic in Sydney later this week before having a week off ahead of the Queensland Open in Rockhampton.
She then has another week off before the Australian Open in Canberra beginning on August 10.
She admitted that she was beginning to feel the strain of playing so much squash over the past two months.
“I’m getting a little tired – it’s been a tough week,” Camilleri said.
Corren is also feeling the strain of a heavy schedule and revealed he was pulling out of the next four tournaments, including the Australian Open, because of a lower back injury.
“I’ve started favouring my left side to protect the right and it’s just getting worse,” he said.
“I’m really disappointed because I had a good chance of winning a couple of them. “But it has to be fun to play these events, and at the moment I’m not having much fun.”
Men’s Final:
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt 2-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) 11-8, 11-7, 11-5
Women’s Final:
2-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 1-Sharon Wee (MAS) 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6
09-Jul, Semis:
Cream rises to the top at Tasmanian Open
Malaysia’s Sharon Wee stamped her authority on the Tasmanian Open squash tournament when she downed 19-year-ol Victorian Sarah Cardwell 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Wee, the world number 34, had too much class and experience for her younger opponent as she set up a final against second seeded Queensland’s Lisa Camilleri.
Wee suffered a shock loss in the quarter-finals of last week’s Victorian Open but said she was suffering from the flu in Melbourne and had not been able to perform at her best.
But she is now fully recovered and has disposed of three of Australia’s younger brigade – Challen Stowell, Maggy Marshall and Cardwell – on the way to the final.
“I’m playing much better than I did in Melbourne and I’m feeling really good on court,” Wee said after her semi-final win.
“I know against Lisa it’s going to be tough so I’ll have to work hard.
“We’ve never played each other in a tournament, but she’s a good friend and we’ve been practising with each other this week.”
World number 39 Camilleri reached the final when she beat Melbourne’s Melody Francis in a tough three-game clash.
Camilleri won the first game in a tiebreak then held off Francis to win 15-13, 11-3, 11-8 and put herself in with a chance of winning her 11th career tournament and her fifth in a row.
The men’s final also sees a clash of the top two seeds with both South Australian Mike Corren and Nathan Stevenson in convincing form in their semi-finals.
The 36-year-old Corren will be aiming for an incredible 28th title on the men’s Professional Squash Association tour after he beat third seeded Dutchman Bart Ravelli 11-6, 11-7, 11-6.
He and Stevenson have played six times on the PSA tour with the older Corren winning each time, including in three finals.
However Stevenson, who is yet to claim a PSA title, looked sharp as he demolished unseeded Kiwi Evan Williams 11-3, 11-5, 11-3.
Semi-finals
Men
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt 3-Bart Ravelli (NED) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6
2-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) bt Evan Williams (NZL) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3
Women
1-Sharon Wee (MAS) bt 6-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) 11-3, 11-4, 11-2
2-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 3-Melody Francis (Vic) 15-13, 11-3, 11-8
09-Jul, Quarters:
Wee ends home hopes in Hobart
Top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee ended dreams of a hometown win when she downed Maggy Marshall in straight games in the quarter-finals of the Tasmanian Open squash tournament in Hobart on Friday.
Local fans were hoping to see an upset but Marshall, who was playing on her home court, was unable to match the Malaysian world number 35, Wee winning 11-5, 11-1, 11-4 to move into a semi-final against Sarah Cardwell.
Marshall has been making great strides of late but the gap of 64 places on the world rankings proved too much for the 20-year-old to overcome.
Cardwell, the sixth seed from Melbourne, caused a minor upset when she downed fourth seed Zoe Petrovansky in five games 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6.
The second semi-final will be between second seed Lisa Camilleri and third ranked Melody Francis of Melbourne.
Camilleri, winner of the Victorian Open last week, saw off Kiwi Amanda Cranston in four tough games 13-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-9.
She won’t find the going any easier against Francis, who looked in great touch as she dominated sixth seeded Austrian Birgit Coufal 11-4, 11-8, 11-7.
Camilleri has played Francis twice already on the Australian Squash Tour, in the final of the Black Knight Open in Perth and the semi-final of the South Australian Open and won both times, although neither match was an easy victory.
But Camilleri is still the favourite to go into Sunday’s final, where she will be aiming for her fifth straight tournament victory.
Top men progress
In the men’s draw the top two seeds progressed in contrasting fashion.
Adelaide’s Mike Corren downed Dutchman Frank Hartkoren in straight games 11-6, 11-7, 11-1, while second seed Nathan Stevenson battled for over an hour to subdue the challenge of Swiss Reiko Peter 12-14, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8.
Corren takes on another Dutchman in the semi-finals, Bart Ravelli, who beat Korean Se Hyun Lee 11-6, 11-6, 11-5.
Meanwhile Stevenson faces 20-year-old New Zealander Evan Williams, who caused the biggest shock of the tournament when he ousted fourth seed Josh Cardwell 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4.
Men’s Second Round
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
Frank Hartkoren (NED) bt Steven London (ENG) 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
3-Bart Ravelli (NED) bt Sam Fife (Qld) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7
Se Hyun Lee (KOR) bt Jonas Daehler (SUI) 13-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-4
Evan Williams (NZL) bt 8-Cheng Yao Huang (TPE) 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9
4-Josh Cardwell (Vic) bt Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 12-10, 11-6, 14-12
6-Reiko Peter (SUI) bt Jamie Mathews (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
2-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) bt Sunil Seth (Qld) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4
Quarter-finals
Men
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt Frank Hartkoren (NED) 11-6, 11-7, 11-1
3-Bart Ravelli (NED) bt Se Hyun Lee (KOR) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5
Evan Williams (NZL) bt 4-Josh Cardwell (Vic) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4
2-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) bt 6-Reiko Peter (SUI) 12-14, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8
Women
1-Sharon Wee (MAS) bt 7-Maggy Marshall (Tas) 11-5, 11-1, 11-4
6-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) bt 4-Zoe Petrovansky (Qld) 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6
3-Melody Francis (Vic) bt Birgit Coufal (AUT) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7
2-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 8-Amanda Cranston (NZL) 13-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-9
08-Jul, Round One:
Marshall sets up clash with top seed
Tasmania’s Maggy Marshall set up a quarter-final against top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee after both women cruised through their first round matches at the Tasmanian Open squash tournament in Hobart on Thursday.
Marshall became the first player into the quarters when she beat fellow Tasmanian Laura Scrivens 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 in a confidence boosting opening round clash.
However, she faces a step up in class against Wee, the world number 35 who downed the Gold Coast’s Challen Stowell 11-2, 11-5, 11-2.
Marshall, 20, will go into the match as the underdog but she is not without her chances.
She reached the quarter-finals of the Victorian Open in Melbourne last weekend and has been practising with Wee in Hobart this week so knows the Malaysian’s game.
Marshall grew up in Hobart and is playing this week on her home courts in front of a parochial crowd and may be able to cause an upset.
It was business as usual for all the women’s seeds, none of whom dropped a game on the way to the second round.
But it was a different story in the men’s draw, with fifth seeded Queenslander Jacob Alexander and seventh seeded Alex Grayson of New Zealand both bowing out.
Englishman Stephen London ended Alexander’s hopes with an epic 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5 win while Grayson also fell in five, to Korean Se Hyun Lee, 11-3, 11-4, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9.
Top seed Mike Corren, aiming for his 28th title on the Professional Squash Association tour, was too good for local Joel Fishwick 11-2, 11-3, 11-8 and second seeded Nathan Stevenson was also impressive as he downed Mark Hudson 11-6, 11-7, 11-5.
Action continues Friday with the men’s second round and the women’s quarter-finals.
First round results – prefix denotes seeding:
Men
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt Joel Fishwick (Tas) 11-2, 11-3, 11-8
James Skiffington (NZL) bt Hamish Laws (Tas) 11-0, 11-4, 11-6
Steven London (ENG) bt 5-Jacob Alexander (Qld) 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 5-11, 11-5
Frank Hartkoren (NED) bt Edward Dromgool (NZL) 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-3
3-Bart Ravelli (NED) bt Chris Lloyd (NZL) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
Sam Fife (Qld) bt Mark De Vries (Tas) 11-3, 11-8, 11-3
Se Hyun Lee (KOR) bt 7-Alex Grayson (NZL) 11-3, 11-4, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9
Jonas Daehler (SUI) bt Michael Brown (Tas) 11-9, 12-14, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7
Evan Williams (NZL) bt David Mulcahy (Tas) 11-7, 11-3, 11-1
8-Cheng Yao Huang (TPE) bt Leigh Ellis (Tas) 11-3, 11-2, 11-3
Hon Fung Wong (HKG) bt Joseph Watts (NZL) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3
4-Josh Cardwell (Vic) bt Jason Faulkner (Tas) 11-0, 11-3, 11-5
10-Jamie Mathews (ENG) bt Jake Davidson (WA) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4
6-Reiko Peter (SUI) bt Walter Koteka (WA) 11-8, 14-12, 11-4
Sunil Seth (Qld) bt Jamie Mcervale (Qld) 13-11, 11-9, 12-10
2-Nathan Stevenson (Qld) bt Mark Hudson (Tas) 11-6, 11-7, 11-5
Women
1-Sharon Wee (MAS) bt Challen Stowell (Qld) 11-2, 11-5, 11-2
7-Maggy Marshall (Tas) bt Laura Scrivens (Tas) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
4-Zoe Petrovansky (Qld) bt Gaye Mitchell (Tas) 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
6-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) bt Selena Shaikh (Vic) 11-4, 11-4, 11-9
Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt Grace Mcervale (Qld) 11-3, 11-1, 11-2
3-Melody Francis (Vic) bt Elpiniki Clement (USA) 11-5, 11-3, 11-3
8-Amanda Cranston (NZL) bt Jessica Turnbull (Qld) 11-5, 11-4, 11-3
2-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt Helen Rackham (Tas) 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
Marshall looking forward to Hobart challenge
Hobart’s own Maggy Marshall is looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the world’s best squash players in her own back yard when the Tasmanian Open gets underway at the Eastside Squash Centre on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Marshall broke into the world’s top 100 this month and celebrated by reaching the quarter-finals of the Victorian Open last weekend, where she lost to eventual champion Lisa Camilleri.
But despite losing in straight games, Marshall said she was improving all the time and would only benefit from playing against higher ranked players.
“I did well last weekend – I feel that this year I’m going pretty well,” Marshall said.
“I’m injury free and feeling confident and feel like I’m improving a lot and playing really well against the better girls.”
Marshall opens her Tasmanian Open campaign against local player Laura Scrivens before a probable quarter-final against top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee.
“It’s great for the local squash player to be able to see some squash of this calibre,” she said.
“And with all the international players coming, it’s great for the sport’s exposure down here.”
The Tasmanian Open has been significantly upgraded this year and is now part of the Australian Squash Tour, which began in Darwin in May and culminates in the Australian Open in Canberra in August.
Players from the USA, Malaysia, Austria, New Zealand, Pakistan, England, the Netherlands, Taipei, Switzerland and Hong Kong will join some of Australia’s brightest talents bidding for both the men’s and women’s crowns.
The women’s field is headed by Wee, the world number 35, with 39th ranked Camilleri seeded second.
Melbourne’s Melody Francis and Zoe Petrovansky of Brisbane are ranked three and four, just ahead of Austrian number one Birgit Coufal.
Top seed in the men’s event is colourful South Australia Mike Corren, the 36-year-old who has won Professional Squash Association tournaments all over the world.
Corren will go into the tournament as the overwhelming favourite, but could face several tricky clashes in his side of the draw, including third seeded Dutchman Bart Ravelli and top ranked Australian junior Jacob Alexander.
Corren faces local Josh Fishwick in the first round ahead of a probable second round clash with New Zealand junior James Skiffington.
The bottom half of the draw is wide open.
Queensland’s Nathan Stevenson is the second seed but he has to get past Melbourne’s Josh Cardwell and Swiss Reiko Peter if he is to make the decider.
The seeds :
Men
1 Mike Corren (SA)
2 Nathan Stevenson (Qld)
3 Bart Ravelli (NED)
4 Josh Cardwell (Vic)
5 Jacob Alexander (Qld)
6 Reiki Peter (SUI)
7 Alex Grayson (NZL)
8 Cheng Yao Huang (TPE)
Women
1 Sharon Wee (MAS)
2 Lisa Camilleri (Qld)
3 Melody Francis (Vic)
4 Zoe Petrovansky (Qld)
5 Birgit Coufal (AUT)
6 Sarah Cardwell (Vic)
7 Maggy Marshall (Tas)
8 Amanda Cranston (NZL)
