Victory for USA No.3 should boost her world ranking
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
After securing her second WSA World Tour title in two months at The Manulife Investments WSA Tournament at Club Meadowvale in Canada, USA number three Olivia Blatchford has boosted her chances of improving on her highest world ranking of 32 in next month’s WSA list.
The 21-year-old from New York reached the final of the WSA Tour 5 squash event at Club Meadowvale in Mississauga – her sixth on the WSA Tour – after battling to a five-game semi-final win over home hope Nikki Todd, the No3 seed from Canada.
The top seed’s opponent in the final was second seed Maria Toorpakai Wazir, the Toronto-based Pakistani who also ousted a Canadian in five games in the previous round – fourth seed Hollie Naughton – to earn her first Tour final appearance this year.The final marked the pair’s third meeting over the past three years – but world No42 Blatchford, ranked 42 places higher than her opponent, was in sparkling form as she defeated Wazir 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 to record her best ever win over the 23-year-old.
The triumph marks the fourth Tour title of Blatchford’s career.
The Manulife Investments WSA Tournament at Club Meadowvale, Mississauga, Canada.
1st round:
[5] Micaala Seth (CAN) bt Stephanie Edmison (CAN) 11-7, 11-8, 11-5
[6] Sophie Mehta (CAN) bt Natalia Londono (COL) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4
Radhika Ahluwalia (USA) bt [8] Melina Turk (CAN) 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5
[7] Maddie O’Conner (CAN) bt Evelyn Moorhouse (CAN) 11-3, 11-6, 11-7
Quarter-finals:
[1] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [5] Micaala Seth (CAN) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
[3] Nikki Todd (CAN) bt [6] Sophie Mehta (CAN) 12-14, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8
[4] Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Radhika Ahluwalia (USA) 11-9, 11-2, 12-10
[2] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) bt [7] Maddie O’Conner (CAN) 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Semi-finals:
[1] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [3] Nikki Todd (CAN) 11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4
[2] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) bt [4] Hollie Naughton (CAN) 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7
Final:
[1] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [2] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) 11-4, 11-7, 12-10
For all the latest WSA Tour news: wsaworldtour.com
Picture courtesy of WSA