Perry’s Experience Shines On In Texas
Madeline Perry has become the latest WSA World Tour player to win back-to-back titles in 2013 following a successful Texas Open campaign and following from her win in her home ‘Irish Open’ 2 weeks ago.
Madeline has a good win in 4 games vs Latasha Khan, the world number 30 from the USA. For Aisling Blake following her very successful European Team Championships, where in the final she beat world number 4 Alison Waters, unfortunatly she lost in the 1st round to World number 8 England’s Jenny Duncalf in 4 games.
Forth seeded Madeline then beat sixth seeded and world number 17 Rachael Grinham from Australia very convincingly 11-7, 11-5, 11-2.
Just one seeded player failed to make it past the opening round of the well attended WSA Silver 35 event, as Misaki Kobayashi beat Samantha Teran to the quarter-final spot after a lengthy five games.
The Japanese qualifier didn’t fare as well against second seed Jenny Duncalf in the quarters, with the Englishwoman demonstrating her experience and quality to reach the semi-final round. Duncalf was joined by the rest of the top four seeds in the semis, as Natalie Grinham saw off a commendable challenge from Sarah-Jane Perry in five-games, along with victories for top seed Joelle King.
Grinham’s long quarter-final match did nothing to impact her longevity against Duncalf in a cat-and-mouse semi-final battle. The Dutch representative came from a game down against the higher seed and was pegged back again in the fourth before clinching the deciding fifth game to reach her 44th WSA career final.
Meanwhile No.1 seed Joelle King saw a good start against Perry quickly levelled by the experienced Irishwoman, who launched an excellent display of cool-headed, strategic squash to beat the New Zealander, ranked five places higher, in four games.
It was world No.10 Grinham who started better in the final by clinching the narrowest of opening games against Perry, ranked just one place behind her. The high level of experience from both players was evident to the crowds as Perry countered in the second, drawing level after another closely fought game. Grinham responded in kind to take the lead again, but was beginning to show signs of fatigue in the fourth game, which Perry closed out by the largest margin of the match so far. A third five-game encounter proved too much for the Dutchwoman, and Perry closed out the fifth and final game to win her eleventh WSA World Tour title, her second in succession.
Final: [4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [3] Natalie Grinham (NED) 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6
Semi-finals: [4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [1] Joelle King (NZL) 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 [3] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 2-11, 11-4, 11-9, 5-11, 11-0
Quarter-finals: [1] Joelle King (NZL) bt [5] Kasey Brown (AUS) 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3 [4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 11-7, 11-5, 11-2 [3] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9 [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Misaki Kobayashi (JAP) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2
1st round: [1] Joelle King (NZL) bt Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 [5] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-8, 13-11, 12-14, 11-4 [4] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7 [6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Nouran Gohar (EGY) 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 11-3, 12-10, 11-9 [3] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt Emily Whitlock (ENG) 8-11, 12-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3 Misaki Kobayashi (JAP) bt [7] Samantha Teran (MEX) 13-11, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 11-3 [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-2, 11-7, 4-11, 11-2