Emily Whitlock is Chorley champion after top seed SJP is downed by Donna Urquhart
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Emily Whitlock won her second WSA World Tour title of the year when she beat Australia’s Donna Urquhart in the final of the Women’s CourtCare Open, becoming the third successive home winner of the WSA Challenger 15 squash event at David Lloyd Chorley in the English county of Lancashire.
The 21-year-old No.2 seed dropped just one game en-route to the final – seeing off eighth-seeded American Olivia Blatchford in straight games in the semi-finals.
Urquhart, the fifth seed fighting back to top form after foot surgery last September, made her breakthrough in the quarter-finals where she ousted top seed Sarah-Jane Perry, the world No.14 from England, in a bruising five-game marathon.
On a day of huge battles, Japan’s top-ranked player Misaki Kobayashi overcame No.3 seed Tesni Evans 13-11 in the fifth, and Blatchford won a massive North American clash by squeezing past Canada’s Sam Cornett 11-9 in the fifth.
Urquhart, the 28-year-old left-hander from New South Wales, survived another close encounter in the semis which went the full distance, beating Japan’s Kobayashi 11-9 in the fifth to reach her second Tour final of the year.
Whitlock took full advantage of the toll taken by her final opponent, despatching Urquhart 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 to claim the 12th WSA Tour title of her career.
Women’s CourtCare Open, Chorley, Lancs, England
1st round:
[1] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-6
[5] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Deon Saffery (WAL) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9
[6] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [Q] Tamika Saxby (AUS) 11-3, 11-2, 11-1
[3] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt [Q] Chloe Mesic (FRA) 11-5, 11-5, 11-8
[4] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-1
[8] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [Q] Nada Elkalaawy (ENG) 11-3, 7-3 ret.
[7] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [Q] Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-2
[2] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt Victoria Temple-Murray (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8
Quarter-finals:
[5] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [1] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8
[6] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [3] Tesni Evans (WAL) 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 9-11, 13-11
[8] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [4] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9
[2] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [7] Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-4, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8
Semi-finals:
[5] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [6] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 18-16, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9
[2] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [8] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
Final:
[2] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [5] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6
Picture courtesy of WSA