Seventh heaven for King as she secures her first WSA title in 15 months
By MICHAEL CATLING – Squash Mad Chief Editor
World number five Joelle King bounced back from a quarter-final exit at the Tournament of Champions last week to win a dramatic Greenwich Open final against third seed Low Wee Wern in New York.
The four-time New Zealand National champion needed five games to beat Sarah-Jane Perry and Amanda Sobhy earlier in the week and she repeated the feat to prevail over Wee Wern 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8.
King, seeded second for the $35,000 WSA event, had lost four of her past five encounters against the Malaysian number two but overturned a 2-1 deficit to secure her seventh WSA title.
A fourth game tie-break ultimately proved pivotal as King capitalised on the world number six’s nervousness to force a decider, before winning three consecutive points with the scores tied at eight-apiece in the fifth to claim victory in 96 minutes.
Wee Wern, 23, has now lost successive finals 3-2 at the The Field Club of Greenwich and will now join the 25-year-old from New Zealand (pictured above, right) in competing at the Cleveland Classic in Ohio later this week.
Brutal 90 mins match and 11-8 loss in the 5th game to Joelle King today. But it has been a good week for me here. Thanks for the messages!
— Wee Wern Low (@WeeWernLow) January 28, 2014
Final Result:
[2] Joelle King (NZL) 3-2 [3] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 (96m)
Semi-Final Results:
[3] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-2 [7] Annie Au (HKG) 5-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 11-1
[2] Joelle King (NZL) 3-2 Amanda Sobhy (USA) 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7
Quarter-Final Results:
[7] Annie Au (HKG) 3-0 [LL] Joey Chan (HKG) 11-1, 11-6, 11-8
[3] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-1 Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 3-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-2 [6] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-8, 11-7, 2-11, 6-11, 11-6
[2] Joelle King (NZL) 3-2 [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9
First Round Results:
[LL] Joey Chan (HKG) 3-2 [Q] Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-13, 8-11, 11-1, 11-9, 11-4
[7] Annie Au (HKG) 3-0 [WC] Cecelia Cortes (USA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-3
[3] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-2 [Q] Emma Beddoes (ENG) 12-10, 10-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-3
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 3-2 [5] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-6, 13-11, 5-11, 9-11, 11-5
[6] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-1 Line Hansen (DEN) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-1 [4] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 11-1
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1 [Q] Joshana Chinappa (IND) 6-11, 11-3, 11-9, 13-11
[2] Joelle King (NZL) 3-0 [Q] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4
Final Qualifying Round Results:
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-0 Joey Chan (HKG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
Samantha Teran (MEX) 3-1 Emily Whitlock (ENG) 6-11, 13-11, 11-9, 12-10
Joshana Chinappa (IND) 3-1 Sarah Kippax (ENG) 11-7, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9
Emma Beddoes (ENG) 3-1 Victoria Lust (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9
First Qualifying Round Results:
Joey Chan (HKG) v bye
Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-0 Kayley Leonard (USA) 11-1, 11-3, 11-6
Emily Whitlock (ENG) 3-1 Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 11-4, 8-11, 13-11, 11-4
Samantha Teran (MEX) 3-2 Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5
Joshana Chinappa (IND) 3-0 Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-8, 11-7, 11-9
Sarah Kippax (ENG) 3-1 Celia Allamargot (FRA) 11-5, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9
Victoria Lust (ENG) 3-1 Siyoli Waters (RSA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2
Emma Beddoes (ENG) 3-0 Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9
Picture by Steve Cubbins (SquashSite)