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Australia Day Challenge 2011
21-23 Jan, Queensland, Australia, $5k |
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Francis claims first ever title
 Victoria's
Melody Francis claimed her first ever title on the women's
professional tour when she beat New Zealand's Megan Craig in the
final of the Australia Day Challenge in Brisbane on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Francis, who combines studying International
Relations at Deakin University with a career as a squash player,
beat Craig 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 to make her breakthrough.
Francis had earlier beaten New South Wales's Tamika Saxby 11-4,
11-7, 13-11 to make the final while Craig had upset second seeded
Czech Olga Ertlova 12-14, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4.
Francis had lost to Craig in their only previous meeting, at the NSW
Open last August, and said she had been apprehensive heading into
the final.
"I was a bit nervous going in because she had beaten me, so the
stats were on her side," Francis said.
"But I was really determined to get revenge."
A delighted Francis conceded the win had fulfilled a long held
ambition.
"It's been a dream of mine to win a WISPA tournament since I first
started playing when I was 13," she said.
Francis joined the Australian Institute of Sport in 2010 and she
said that had allowed her to concentrate more fully on her game.
"I've been able to work on fitness, strength, my game and a lot of
other stuff and it has all come together this weekend.
"I was just playing better and better as the matches went on."
In the men's final Bradley Hindle, originally from Mackay in
north Queensland but now playing for Malta, beat New Zealand's Alex
Grayson 11-1, 11-4, 11-8.
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 Australia
Day Challenge 2011
21-23 Jan, Queensland, Australia, $5k |
Round One
21 Jan |
Round Two
22 Jan |
Quarters
22 Jan |
Semis
23 Jan |
Final
23 Jan |
[1] Bradley Hindle (Mlt)
11-0, 11-2, 11-2
[Q] Michael Badenhorst (Aus) |
[1] Bradley Hindle
11-4, 11-4, 11-7
Paul Coll |
[1] Bradley Hindle
11-4, 11-4, 11-2
[8] Ben Werchon |
[1] Bradley Hindle
11-5, 11-1, 11-4
[4] Jamie McErvale |
[1] Bradley Hindle
11-1, 11-4, 11-8
[3] Alex Grayson |
Paul Coll (Aus)
11-2, 11-2, 11-4
Matthew Bridle (Ausd) |
Joshua Stack-Masula (Aus)
11-6, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5
David Fumpson (Aus) |
David Fumpson
11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8
[8] Ben Werchon |
Ben Somerville (Aus)
11-3, 11-1, 11-2
[8] Ben Werchon (Aus) |
[6] Sam Fife (Aus)
11-6, 11-6, 11-6
[Q] Brad Williams (Aus) |
[6] Sam Fife
9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Joseph Watts |
Joseph Watts
11-5, 11-7, 13-11
[4] Jamie McErvale |
[Q] Drew Cooper (Nzl)
11-5, 11-4, 11-4
Joseph Watts (Nzl) |
Ben Marchall (Aus)
11-9, 11-2, 11-7
Christopher Lark (Aus) |
Christopher Lark
8-11, 11-0, 11-5, 11-7
[4] Jamie McErvale |
Edward Dromgool (Nzl)
11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-4
[4] Jamie McErvale (Aus) |
[3] Alex Grayson (Nzl)
11-3, 11-4, 12-10
[Q] Bryce Redman (Nzl) |
[3] Alex Grayson
11-5, 11-6, 11-6
Lance Beddoes |
[3] Alex Grayson
11-6, 12-10, 11-7
[7] Luke Sims |
[3] Alex Grayson
11-8, 11-3, 11-9
[2] Nathan Stevenson |
Courtney West (Aus)
11-3, 11-6, 11-6
Lance Beddoes (Nzl) |
Rhys Dowling (Aus)
9-11, 1-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8
Wesley Cusick (Aus) |
Wesley Cusick
11-9, 11-9, 11-8
[7] Luke Sims |
Dayne Gruenthal (Aus)
11-7, 11-4, 11-5
[7] Luke Sims (Aus) |
[5] Sunil Seth (Aus)
11-5, 3-11, 11-4, 11-6
Graeme Wilson (Nzl) |
[5] Sunil Seth
11-7, 11-4, 11-9
Ben Takamizawa |
[5] Sunil Seth
11-5, 11-2, 11-8
[2] Nathan Stevenson |
Ben Takamizawa (Jpn)
8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6
Luc Rance (Aus) |
Thomas Calvert (Aus)
7-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4
[Q] Rohan Toole (Aus) |
Thomas Calvert
11-4, 11-5, 11-4
[2] Nathan Stevenson |
[Q] John Peacey (Aus)
11-5, 11-5, 11-1
[2] Nathan Stevenson (Aus) |
Australia Day Challenge 2011
21-23 Jan, Queensland, Australia, $4k |
Round One
21 Jan |
Round Two
22 Jan |
Quarters
22 Jan |
Semis
23 Jan |
Final
23 Jan |
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[1] Melody Francis (Aus)
11-3, 12-10, 11-2
[10] Grace McErvale (Aus) |
[1] Melody Francis
11-4, 11-7, 11-2
[7] Selene Shaikh |
[1] Melody Francis
11-4, 11-7, 13-11
[6] Tamika Saxby |
[1] Melody Francis
11-6, 11-4, 11-9
[15] Megan Craig |
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[7] Selene Shaikh (Aus)
14-12, 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-7
[14] Moana Gray |
[14] Moana Gray (Aus)
11-8, 11-5, 11-8
Luka Stroop (Aus) |
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[3] Zoe Petranovsky (Aus)
11-6, 11-5, 11-6
[11] Jessica Turnbull (Aus) |
[3] Zoe Petranovsky
11-9, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3
[6] Tamika Saxby |
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[6] Tamika Saxby (Aus)
11-0, 11-3, 11-0
[16] Tiffany Loss |
[16] Tiffany Loss (Aus)
3-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5
Shari Fuller (Aus) |
Irina Gray (Aus)
11-3, 11-4, 11-1
[15] Megan Craig (Nzl) |
[15] Megan Craig
11-6, 11-3, 11-8
[8] Bethany Brazer (Aus) |
[15] Megan Craig
11-8, 12-10, 11-7
[4] Samantha Davies |
[15] Megan Craig
12-14, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4
[2] Olga Ertlova |
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Nicole Stoneham (Aus)
11-7, 11-1, 11-9
[13] Emily Stack-Masula (Aus) |
Nicole Stoneham
11-1, 11-3, 11-4
[4] Samantha Davies (Aus) |
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Natalie Newton (Aus)
13-15, 11-3, 11-7, 11-6
[12] Jennifer Brown (Aus) |
[12] Jennifer Brown
11-6, 11-5, 11-0
[5] Amanda Cranston (Nzl) |
[5] Amanda Cranston
11-7, 11-4, 11-7
[2] Olga Ertlova |
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[8] Challen Stowell (Nzl)
11-6, 11-1, 11-0
[2] Olga Ertlova (Cze) |
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Surprise finalist in
Australia Day Challenge
Unseeded Kiwi Megan Craig will take on Melody Francis
in the final of the Australia Day Challenge after defeating Czech
Olga Ertlova in a tight five game semi final in Brisbane this
evening. 2010 Commonwealth Games team member Francis was to strong
for up and coming Tamika Saxby in the other semi, living up to her
number one seeding to set up Sunday's final.
The men's section saw the top four seeds progress through the
Quarter Finals. Number one seed Brad Hindle - a north
Queenslander who now plays under the Malta flag and Caloundra's
Jamie McErvale will compete in one semi final while Kiwi Alex
Grayson with take on Caboolture's Nathan Stevenson in the
other.
The Australia Day Challenge is being played at Daisy Hill Squash
Centre, 18 Alamanda Drive, Daisy Hill.
Foreign raiders after
Australia Day Challenge
Foreign raiders have descended on Brisbane this week for the annual
Australia Day Challenge to be held at the Daisy Hill Squash Centre,
the home of the AIS squash program.
Malta’s Australian-born Bradley Hindle heads the men’s field and he
has brought with him his Czech partner Olga Ertlova, the second seed
in the women’s event.
Mackay-born and raised Hindle has won three tournaments on the men’s
PSA tour, most recently at the Belgium Open in March last year.
He has been lucky with the draw and will play a qualifier in both
the first and second rounds before a likely quarter-final against
South Australian Ben Werchon.
His main challenger for the tournament is likely to be Caboolture’s
Nathan Stevenson, who has made six PSA finals but is yet to take
that final step.
Melbourne’s Melody Francis will also get a chance to break her title
drought as she heads into women’s tournament as top seed.
However, she will probably have to get past defending champion and
third seed Zoe Petrovansky in the semi-finals if she is to reach the
final, where she is seeded to play Ertlova, who broke through for
her maiden tour win at the Santiago Open in Spain last November.
All three top seeds will be looking over their shoulders at sixth
seed Tamika Saxby, who won the Scottish Junior Open in December
before reaching the semi-finals of the prestigious British Junior
Open earlier this month.
The Australia Day Challenge is designed by Squash Australia for
younger professionals to chalk up some experience and get valuable
rankings points without having to go overseas at this time of the
year.
Men’s qualifying begins on Thursday with the first round starting on
Friday and the finals to be played Sunday afternoon.
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