Urquhart wins three tiebreaks to take Melbourne title
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Reporter
Donna Urquhart laid claim to the title ‘Australian number one’ after upsetting the country’s long-time top squash player Rachael Grinham in the final of the Women’s Victorian Open, the Women’s Squash Association World Tour 15 event at Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre in Melbourne.
Grinham, the event’s top seed and former world No1 and world champion, notched up her 67th WSA Tour final appearance – and her fourth of the year – after beating New Zealand’s No4 seed Megan Craig in the semi-finals.
Second seed Urquhart, ranked ten places below world No15 Grinham, despatched third-seeded Malaysian Delia Arnold in straight games in the other semi – a win which took the 27-year-old left-hander from New South Wales into her 14th Tour final, but first for almost two years.
Each game of the final went to a tie-break before underdog Urquhart finally emerged triumphant 12-10, 14-12, 12-10 after 33 minutes.
Urquhart received her trophy from Australian legend Geoff Hunt, the eight-time British Open champion and four-time World champion (as pictured above).
The win marks up Urquhart’s eighth Tour title.
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Women’s Victorian Open, Melbourne, Australia
1st round:
Eloise O’Connor (AUS) bt [12] Diana Garcia (MEX) w/o
[9] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt Natalie Newton (AUS) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (17m)
[8] Eun Chan Ahn (KOR) bt Victoria Leow (AUS) 11-1, 11-5, 11-8 (19m)
Melody Francis (AUS) bt [16] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) 11-8, 12-14, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
[11] Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) bt Selena Shaikh (AUS) 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 11-3 (35m)
[6] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Jasmine Chan (AUS) 11-1, 11-9, 11-1 (15m)
[15] Teh Min Jie (MAS) bt Melissa Bonello (AUS) 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 (18m)
[14] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Grazia Guida (AUS) 11-2, 11-7, 11-4 (19m)
[7] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Samantha Davies (AUS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (27m)
Zoe Foo (MAS) bt [13] Belen Etchechoury (ARG) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7 (27m)
[10] Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Nicole Stoneham (AUS) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
2nd round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Eloise O’Connor (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-9 (16m)
[9] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [8] Eun Chan Ahn (KOR) 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-1 (43m)
[4] Megan Craig (NZL) bt Melody Francis (AUS) 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 (13m)
[6] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [11] Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 (36m)
[5] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt [15] Teh Min Jie (MAS) 11-3, 12-10, 12-10 (25m)
[3] Delia Arnold (MAS) bt [14] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 11-5, 11-1, 11-3 (19m)
[7] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Zoe Foo (MAS) 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5 (38m)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [10] Rachel Arnold (MAS) 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6 (28m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [9] Christine Nunn (AUS) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (19m)
[4] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [6] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 13-15, 13-11, 11-9, 11-9 (53m)
[3] Delia Arnold (MAS) bt [5] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 (42m)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [7] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (37m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [4] Megan Craig (NZL) 11-3, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4 (31m)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [3] Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 (29m)
Final:
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 12-10, 14-12, 12-10 (33m)
Picture courtesy of WSA