Serme pushes through after losing the first game
By JERMAINE XABA
An impressive performance from Camille Serme in the final of the 2016 Cleveland Classic PSA W50 tournament saw the Frenchwoman down England’s Alison Waters 3-1 to collect the 10th PSA World Tour title of her career.
The 2015 Allam British Open winner, who will hoping to defend her only PSA World Series title in Hull next month, lived up to her billing as the number one seed in Cleveland as she came through the draw unscathed, beating Delia Arnold, Joshna Chinappa and Sarah-Jane Perry to set up a title-decider with number two seed Waters.
Waters had secured her place in the final courtesy of a hard-fought 3-2 win over top ranked American Amanda Sobhy but started off strongly to take the opening game of the final 11-7.
However Serme managed to up her levels and controlled proceedings from that point onwards, taking the next three games in succession to storm to victory.
“I felt flat and tired from yesterday and I didn’t feel like I could do it today,” she said. “Alison is very strong so I had to stay with my strategy and play focused, attacking her backhand. I tried hard to never give up and to stay positive and I’m happy it paid off.”
$50,000 Women’s Tub O’ Towels Cleveland Classic 2016, Cleveland Racquet Club, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Final:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [2] Alison Waters (ENG) 3-1: 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
Semi-finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 11-7, 12-10, 11-5
[2] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 5-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 12-10
Quarter-finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [6] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 11-4, 5-11, 11-8, 11-2
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [3] Annie Au (HKG) 8-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-3, 11-7
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8
[2] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Olivia Blatchford (USA) 12-10, 11-3, 12-10
1st round:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-8, 11-2, 11-4
[6] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [Q] Georgina Stoker (ENG) 3-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-9
[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [Q] Tesni Evans (WAL) 8-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-3, 11-7
[3] Annie Au (HKG) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
[4] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Victoria Lust (ENG) 9-11, 11-4, 11-13, 12-10, 11-4
Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [7] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-2, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9
[Q] Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt [8] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
[2] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Samantha Teran (MEX) 11-3, 11-7, 11-6
Qualifying finals:
Samantha Teran (MEX) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 11-3, 5-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-7
Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 11-2, 11-9, 11-9
Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) 3-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-8
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS) 13-11, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-7
1st qualifying round:
Heba El Torky (EGY) bye
Samantha Teran (MEX) bye
Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Reyna Pacheco (USA) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3
Tesni Evans (WAL) bye
Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bye
Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 11-3, 15-13, 5-11, 11-9
Olivia Blatchford (USA) bt Colette Sultana (MLT) 11-0, 11-4, 11-2
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bye
Pictures by ANDREA DAWSON