Canadian claims biggest win of her career after hunting down Delaware title
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Canada’s Samantha Cornett claimed the biggest WSA World Tour title of her life when she beat Pakistan’s Maria Toorpakai Wazir in the final of the CSC Delaware Open, the WSA Challenger 10 squash event in its fifth year at Vicmead Hunt Club in Wilmington in the US state of Delaware.
Second seed Cornett, the world No.32 from Ottawa, secured her anticipated in the final without dropping a game – overcoming third-seeded New Zealander Amanda Landers-Murphy in the semi-finals to reach the 11th Tour final of her career, and her third in Delaware.
By contrast, Toronto-based Wazir battled through the qualifiers before beginning a sensational giant-killing run through the event after scalping Tesni Evans, the top seed from Wales, in the opening round.
The powerful 24-year-old from Peshawar went on to take out Egypt’s fifth seed Nouran El Torky, then Welsh opponent Deon Saffery, the No.4 seed, to earn her second shock appearance in a WSA Tour final this year!
After Cornett (right) took the first game, Wazir quickly opened up an 8-2 lead in the second before closing out the game to draw level.
24-year-old Cornett reclaimed the lead after taking a hard-fought third game.
“In the fourth, Cornett looked like a woman possessed,” said tournament promoter Ray Chan-A-Sue. “She came out and kept the pressure up from the previous game, really moving Toorpakai and pouncing on anything loose.
“A tiring Toorpakai had finally run out of tricks and was done and dusted. Cornett closed out the game and clinched her first Delaware title on her third try.”
Cornett was delighted with her fifth and biggest WSA Tour title: “I really enjoyed the match today, and felt quite calm and in control of myself. This helped me a lot especially as points started rolling away from me and toward her.
“I was able to focus on what was important in the moment, which was a combination of strategy and managing my energy levels,” continued the Canadian number one.
“In the second game she made me do a lot of work, and I knew that was not how I would win the match, so I turned around in the third and fourth and did that right back to her – an adjustment I’m proud of!
“Maria and I both had a big week of squash and I’m pleased to have finished the week on such a solid note.
“This whole week has been so enjoyable, from the Vicmead Hunt Club atmosphere, to my beautiful billet family, the Wards, to the great squash I’ve played. One of my very favourite tournaments! Right up there with Cayman Islands, even though it’s the dead of winter here, it’s that good!”
Women’s CSC Delaware Open, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
1st round:
[Q] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) bt [1] Tesni Evans (WAL) 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9
[5] Nouran El Torky (EGY) bt Nikki Todd (CAN) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
[4] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [Q] Catalina Pelaez (COL) 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8
Tamika Saxby (AUS) bt [7] Cecelia Cortes (USA) 7-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-4
Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) bt [8] Hollie Naughton (CAN) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8
[3] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [Q] Menna Nasser (EGY) 12-10, 11-13, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10
Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt [6] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 11-7, 11-7, 14-12
[2] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [Q] Nayelly Hernandez (MEX) 11-2, 11-3, 11-9
Quarter-finals:
[Q] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) bt [5] Nouran El Torky (EGY) 4-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, 11-5 (68m)
[4] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt Tamika Saxby (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (26m)
[3] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Cyrielle Peltier (FRA) 11-5, 3-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 (61m)
[2] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
Semi-finals:
[Q] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) bt [4] Deon Saffery (WAL) 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (45m)
[2] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [3] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 (38m)
Final:
[2] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [Q] Maria Toorpakai Wazir (PAK) 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3 (45m)
Picture from Squash Mad archive