Harrow Greenwich Open 2014
22-27 Jan, NY Usa, $35k

[2] Joelle King (Nzl) 3-2 [3] Low Wee Wern (Mas)
             11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (96m)

King battles to Greenwich Glory
Phil Barker reports

The final match in the Harrow Greenwich Open saw two very equally matched players with very similar routes to the final.

Joelle King and Low Wee Wern had both survived five game thrillers the day before so coming into today's final, the 5th and 6th best player in the world looked like it was going to be a titanic battle.



The packed house at Greenwich Country Club was not disappointed as both women traded blows for well over 90 minutes of top quality Squash.

Both women showed why they are some of the top players in the world, wowing the crowds with excellent court coverage and gracious sportsmanship.

The deciding game went down to the wire but at 8-8, King pulled away with a couple of excellent shots selections to finally get a match ball which she converted at her first opportunity.



It is the second year in a row that the Malaysian has lost the final in a five game thriller but hopefully she returns next year as she is a favourite with the Greenwich public because of immaculate on and off court etiquette.

"Brutal 90 mins match and 11-8 loss in the 5th game to Joelle King today," tweeted Low. "But it has been a good week for me here."

For King, a third successive 3-2 win brought up her seventh career WSA title.
 
"Happy to win the greenwich open finally. 11-8 in the fifth," tweeted the new champion.
  

5-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 11-1 (52m)

 [3] Low Wee Wern

 [3] Low Wee Wern

11-6, 9-11,
8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (96m)

[2] Joelle King

7th WSA title for Joelle

6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7

[2] Joelle King

         FC Field Club, RHC Round Hill Club, GCC Greenwich Country Club

23-Jan, Qualifying Finals, FC:

Nour El Tayeb (Egy) bt Joey Chan (Hkg)                                 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
Samantha Teran (Mex) bt Emily Whitlock (Eng)            6-11, 13-11, 11-9, 12-10
Joshana Chinappa (Ind) bt Sarah Kippax (Eng)              11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9
Emma Beddoes (Eng) bt Victoria Lust (Eng)                     11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9

22-Jan, Qualifying Round One, FC:

Joey Chan (Hkg)   bye
Nour El Tayeb (Egy) bt Kayley Leonard (Usa)                             11-1, 11-3, 11-6
Emily Whitlock (Eng) bt Misaki Kobayashi (Jpn)                11-4, 8-11, 13-11, 11-4
Samantha Teran (Mex) bt  Samantha Cornett (Can)  11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5
Joshana Chinappa (Ind) bt Heba El Torky (Egy)                         11-8, 11-7, 11-7
Sarah Kippax (Eng) bt Celia Allamargot (Fra)                    11-5, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9
Victoria Lust (Eng) bt Siyoli Waters (Rsa)                          9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2
Emma Beddoes (Eng) bt Sabrina Sobhy (Usa)                           11-4, 11-9, 11-9

Low and King survive five game semis
Steve Scharff reports

Joelle King and Low Wee Wern won through to the final of the Greenwich Open, but both needed five games to get past opponents Amanda Sobhy and Annie Au.

Au came out hot, dominating the middle of the court and took the first game against Low Wee Wern with relative ease.

In the second game both players went on winning streaks of at least six points. In the end it was Wee Wern who struck last and took the game 11-9.

The last three games continued to be streaky, see saw battles. The losing player never got more than five points in any of the games.

Wee Wern turned up the tempo in the fifth and final game, putting her stamp on a solidly played match by winning by an 11-1 score.



In a rematch of their semi-final from two years ago both Amanda Sobhy and Joelle King showed that they are both fitter, stronger and sharper than they even were then.

Unfortunately for Sobhy, the result was the same. Sobhy struck first with a decisive 11-6 first game to set the tone. King, who is one of the fittest players on tour, did not seem worried as she dug down in the second and took control of the match with an 11-6 score.

King seemed to cruising, up five to one in the third, when Sobhy went on a tear and ripped off 7 of the next 8 points. King tried valiantly to regain her footing but Sobhy hung on for an 11-8 victory.

King's fitness came through in the end as she dialed up the pressure by taking the ball earlier and hitting her targets. Despite Sobhy's best efforts King was able to finish off the match with scores of 11-4 and 11-7 in the final two games.

Quarters Highlights
by Phil Barker and Michelangelo Bertocchi

The first match of the day was an all Hong Kong affair. The higher ranked Au dominated from the start, rarely letting her younger team mate into the game, winning in straight games.

Wee Wern, last years finalist, came out of the blocks a little slow. Fernandes is a fierce competitor and took the game to the Malaysian no 2 and World no 6. After losing the first however, the higher ranking superior shot selection and movement became more evident and Low Wee Wern moved into the semifinals.

Current Harvard student and US no 1, Amanda Sohby continued her giant killing streak with a hard fought 3-2 win over last years champion Nour El Sherbini. After winning the first two games, the Egyptian player came back hard to tie the match at 2-2. Sohby managed to summon the energy from somewhere to win the decider with some very good attacking play.

The final quarter final saw another match that went the distance. Both players controlling the T for long periods but the Kiwi number one just had the edge physically, making less errors in the fifth game to win 11-9.

Round One Highlights
Ryan Abraham reports

Joey Chan bt Samantha Teran 3-2

Its been a roller coaster 24 hours but Joey Chan used her 2nd chance to full advantage making a remarkable comeback to beat Samantha Teran in the first round at the Field Club. Seemingly out of the match at 0-2 in games, Chan staged a spirited comeback as she turned defensive into offence, taking charge with a crushing 3rd game win 11-1.

With momentum on her side, Chan kept her attacking strategy moving Teran corner to corner with some deft drops in the front court. Teran dug deep in the fifth to extend the points but Chan gained an early advantage hanging on for a well deserved win.

Wee Wern Low bt Emma Beddoes 3-2

This was possibly the most closely contested match of the night.The match was a contrast of styles, Beddoes moving the ball skillfully and patiently Wee Wern absorbed every attack There was nothing to separate the two players in the first two games as each player came away with a tiebreaker win.

Beddoes used her momentum in the third to take a commanding 2-1 lead and it looked like there was an upset on the cards. Wee Wern came out strong in the 4th as Beddoes tired - perhaps showing the effects of two qualifiying matches. The fifth was all Wee Wern who dominated proceedings to run away with the win
 

Qualifying Finals Highlights
Ryan Abraham reports

Samantha Teran bt Emily Whitlock 3-1

Rising WSA player Emily Whitlock stamped her authority on the match early finding a nice rhythm controlling the tee with some tight drives and well constructed points. Teran turned things around in the 2nd stealing the game with a tiebreaker and showing some of the gritty determination that has made her one of the hardest players to beat on tour.

The third and fourth were closely fought with Teran edging Whitlock in the big points at the end of the games and possibly her experience may have just helped her over the line against a player who we will see plenty of in years to come.

Teran's reward was a meeting with top seed Camille Serme, but the Frenchwoman pulled out injured after last night's ToC semi-final, so Teran instead faces Luck Loser Joey Chan.

Emma Beddoes bt Victoria Lust 3-1

The final match of the evening saw a English derby with Beddoes up against Lust. Both players were striking the ball well but Beddoes got the better of the exchanges early, building a comfortable 2-0 lead. Lust found some composure in the third to turn things around and take the game 11-5.

Having found some momentum Lust pushed on to make the 4th a real contest. Some contentious interference made for a scrappy end of the game with Beddoes the recipient of a stroke at 10-9, clinching a berth in Fridays main round against third seed Low Wee Wern, who Beddoes famously upset in Hong Kong at the end of last year.


Other winners were Nour El Tayeb, who beat Joey Chan in straight games to earn a match against second seed Joelle King - while Lucky Loser Chan gets to play qualifier Teran - and Joshana Chinappa, who beat Sarah Kippax to double Indian interest in the main draw. Chinappa now meets the in-form Sarah-Jane Perry.

Day One highlights
Ryan Abraham reports

Samantha Teran bt Samantha Cornett 3-2

In the battle of the "Sams," this was a stand out MATCH OF THE DAY. I wish I had seen the match in its entirety to give a true recount of the performances, but I can tell you that from what I saw the rallies were intense and long. For the first 4 games, the players would continuously trade points in twos and threes and never take any real commanding lead. After 4 games, the ladies were exactly equal on points! In the 5th game Teran just had that extra edge and stamped her authority with a commanding 7-0 lead. Cornett tried one last attempt to claw her way back, reeling off 5 straight points but it was too little too late as Teran took it home 11-5 in the 5th


Emily Whitlock bt Misaki Kobayashi 3-1

Two-time British Junior Open Champion Whitlock, got off to a strong start against her Japanese opponent. Taking everything on the volley and forcing Kobayashi to play the retrieval game, Whitlock dominated the first game to win 11-4. Kobayashi upped her game in the second by utilizing her incredibly accurate working boast and played far fewer unforced errors. Whitlock found herself working a lot harder as the points got longer and Kobayashi took the second game 11-8.

The 3rd was just as tight, but Whitlock maintained her composure at 7-10 down and after a few too many forehand drops in the tin, Kobayashi let that 3rd game slip 13-11.

The momentum had shifted for the final time as Whitlock cruised on to take the 4th game 11-4 to win the match

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