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 ORC
Open 2014
09-12 Dec, Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada, $5k |
12-Dec, Final:
First WSA win for Naughton
Michael Bertin reports
Tonight’s Final saw currently ranked WSA #65, Hollie Naughton vs.
Maria Toor Pakay, currently ranked WSA #91.
Naughton has been on a steady climb up the rankings moving from #80
in January 2014 to her current rank, while Toor Pakay was looking to
get her career back on the right track—ranked #59 in January 2014,
Toor Pakay had dropped to #91 in the December rankings as she took a
couple of months off while sharing some time with family in
Pakistan. Naughton, in her last three tournaments, has made two
Finals and a Semi-final, and was now looking to make the ORC Open,
her home club’s first WSA Event, her first tournament win on the WSA
tour.
The pro Naughton audience was hoping Hollie would make a fast start
and give them something to cheer about, but Toor Pakay started the
match attacking Naughton’s backhand with crisp drives, accurate
cross court lobs and an effective boast that had her opponent
stretching. Toor Pakay jumped to a 7-3 lead in what proved to be a
streaky match with both players scoring sequences of 4 or 5 points,
creating a match of peaks and valleys. Naughton would be her own
worse enemy in the game with 4 tins, but she still rallied to 8-9
with her own streak of points, before Toor Pakay recovered to win
the game 11-8.
It looked like this was to be Toor Pakay’s night as she raced out to
a 6-1 lead in the second, playing a variety of length, boasts, mid
pace and short front corner shots that had her opponent on the
defensive. However, Naughton turned the table just as quickly as she
had fallen behind, scoring the next 5 points with her trademark
sharp, powerful crosscourts and moving Toor Pakay with volleys and
drops to both front corners. From 6-6, Toor Pakay recovered winning
the next 3 points, but Naughton stayed with her game plan, regained
the “T” position and ran 5 more points, winning the game on a right
front corner drop winner to take Game 2, 11-9.
The entertainment value was at its highest starting the third game
as both players made a series of gets, drops, cross drops and
counter drops that had the audience applauding every point. At 5-3,
the up and down nature of the match continued as Toor Pakay took
control, forcing Naughton into a series of tins and strokes called
against that saw Toor Pakay score 6 straight points, winning Game 3,
11-6.
It was all Naughton in the fourth as Hollie was in complete control
with a series of great length drives, rails and cross courts, mixed
in with cross court lobs that kept dropping in the back corners.
Naughton stepped up to volley many of her opponent’s returns,
hitting nicks along route to a dominant 11-1 game victory.
With the match tied 2-2, and the streaky nature of points scored off
unforced errors that characterized the match, no one knew quite what
to expect in the final game to determine the ORC Open 2014 Champion.
The game turned more contentious with a number of lets called and
both players seemingly having difficulty not bumping into one
another throughout much of the game action. One point had 4 lets
granted before the point was finally scored, and total lets in the
game must have approached twenty.
Even with the contentious play, the streaky nature of the match
continued. Toor Pakay looked determined to win, moving out to a 7-3
lead. However, Naughton was not to be denied, gathering herself to
again execute her game plan, tying the game at 7-7. Toor Pakay
recovered, hitting two beautiful boasts to take the lead 9-7.
After scoring one point each, Toor Pakay was serving at 10-8, but it
was now Naughton’s turn to recover once more, gaining serve at 9-10.
After three let calls on the next point, Naughton survived, forcing
the game to extra points. Another let prior to Toor Pakay tinning a
drop shot gave Naughton her first lead of the game, and on the next
point, Naughton closed out to win 12-10 and claim her first WSA
Tournament victory.
At the end of the contest, Naughton’s words summed up the excitement
she was feeling “it means the world to me to win my first WSA title
here at home.” A fitting way to end a fine week of women’s pro
squash at the ORC Open 2014 Tournament.
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  ORC
Open 2014
09-12 Dec, Ontario, Canada, $5k |
Round One
09 Dec |
Quarters
10 Dec |
Semis
11 Dec |
Final
12 Dec |
[1] Cheyna Tucker (Rsa)
bye |
[1] Cheyna Tucker
12/10, 11/9, 8/11, 12/10
[8] Sachika Ingale |
[1] Cheyna Tucker
16-14, 11-4, 11-8 (32m)
[4] Maria Toor Pakay |
[4] Maria Toor Pakay
8-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-1, 12-10 (51m)
[2] Hollie Naughton |
[8] Sachika Ingale (Ind)
11/4, 14/12, 11/2 (14m)
Karina Heredia (Mex) |
[5] Catalina Pelaez (Col)
11/1, 11/3, 11/3 (14m)
Sarah Hopton (Can) |
[4] Maria Toor Pakay
11/7, 11/8, 10/12, 12/14, 11/9
[5] Catalina Pelaez |
[4] Maria Toor Pakay (Pak)
bye |
bye
[3] Nikki Todd (Can) |
[3] Nikki Todd
11/4, 10/12, 11/4, 11/7
[7] Micaala Seth |
[3] Nikki Todd
9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (41m)
[2] Hollie Naughton |
Giselle Delgado (Can)
11/7, 11/9, 14/12 (24m)
[7] Micaala Seth (Can) |
Seanna Keating (Can)
11/8, 11/5, 11/4 (19m)
[6] Alexandra Fuller (Rsa) |
[6] Alexandra Fuller
11/6, 5/11, 11/6, 11/8
[2] Hollie Naughton |
bye
[2] Hollie Naughton (Can) |
The Ontario Racquet Club is proud to announce the
ORC Open, a
ranked international WSA tournament.
From December 9th to the 12th, women from all over the globe will be
travelling to ORC for some of the best squash in the greater Toronto
area. Although ORC has been at their Mississauga location for almost
40 years, this will be the first Pro squash event to take place at
the club.
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11-Dec, Semis:
Michael Bertin reports
Cheyna Tucker v Maria Toor Pakay
Game #1 saw both players feeling their way, trading points up to
6-6, with Cheyna and Maria trying to find a consistent length game
to set up attacking shots at the front corners. The players
continued trading points, Wazir relying on the back hand volley and
drop to move Tucker, and Tucker relying on her strong ground strokes
and boast to move her opponent. Game #1 went to extra points, and
after moving to 14 all, two strokes on the last two points gave Game
#1 to Wazir, 16-14.
Wazir started Game #2 firing on all cylinders, her backhand volley
winner on the first point of the game giving indication of what was
to come. With a sequence of backhand length shots to the deep left
corner, and a series of backhand volleys to the front and back
corners, Wazir kept on the attack and cruised to an 11-4 win, 2-0 up
in the match.
Game #3 continued to show more of the same with Wazir using her back
hand volley to attack the deep and front corners of the court.
Tucker mounted an encouraging comeback, showing a spirit to extend
the match, but Wazir continued to control the majority of rallies,
and Tucker fell 11-8 in the third--Wazir playing confidently in her
3-0 match win and entry into tomorrow’s final.
Hollie Naughton v Nikki Todd
Semi-final #2 saw Team Canada teammates, Hollie Naughton(#2) and
Nikki Todd(#3) straight from their 11th place finish at the Women’s
World Team Tournament Championship, vying for the second spot in
tomorrow night’s Tournament Final. Hollie and Nikki train in the
Greater Toronto Area(GTA) and know each other’s game, so this
semi-final promised to be a tough and entertaining match.
Game #1 saw Nikki at her best, striking very good length and moving
Hollie with a deceptive boast that had Hollie on the defensive and
Nikki in attacking mode. With several long rallies throughout the
game it seemed to be a battle for each point. Nikki’s boast and
short game were the difference as she hit 3 outright winners and won
the game 11-9.
Game #2 saw more good rallies, and again, points were hard to come
by as both players were striking strong rails and cross courts.
Nikki managed an 8-6 lead, but the momentum in the match seemed to
switch at this point with Hollie gaining control of the rallies.
Hitting powerful forehands and backhands, while mixing in some mid
pace and effective lobs, Hollie seemed to gain the attack by moving
her opponent around the court. Nikki’s working boast which aided her
Game #1 victory, found tin at 9-8, and another tin at 9-9, gave
Hollie the lead and she served out to win the game, 11-9, match tied
at 1-1.
Game #3 & 4 saw a pattern form with Hollie the aggressor, moving her
opponent around the court, and Nikki on the defensive, covering the
court well and keeping rallies alive, but Hollie winning several
points off excellent forehand vollies and low drives for winners.
Hollie’s strategic mix of shots seemed to keep Nikki on the
defensive, and although Nikki battled making several excellent gets,
Hollie prevailed for the win, 11-6 in the 3rd and 11-9 to close out
the match in the 4th, a 3-1 victory. Hollie looked strong in closing
out the match as she earned her way to tomorrow’s Final.
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