Hong Kong ace beats Norway’s Lotte Eriksen to win Top End tournament
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad WSA Correspondent
Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz-Wing lived up to her top billing in the final of the Women’s Top End Open in Darwin, Australia, when she beat Lotte Eriksen of Norway to claim her maiden title on the Women’s Squash Association World Tour.
The 21-year-old Hong Kong No4 dropped her first game in the championship when she overcame third-seeded Australian Christine Nunn in the semi-finals of the WSA Tour 5 event at Darwin Squash Centre – a win which took Tong through to her fifth Tour final.
Eriksen, the Stavangar-born fourth seed, made her breakthrough in the other semi when she upset Milou van der Heijden, the No2 seed from the Netherlands, in four games to reach her third Tour final.
But Tong was too strong in the final, beating Eriksen 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 in 39 minutes to take her place on the winner’s podium for the first time in her career.
Women’s Top End Open, Darwin, Australia
1st round:
[13] Eloise O’Connor (AUS) bt Jasmine Chan (AUS) 8-11, 13-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8
[16] Kim A-Hyun (KOR) bt Samantha Calvert (AUS) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
[14] Melissa Bonello (AUS) bt Yang Yeon-Soo (KOR) w/o
[15] Nicole Stoneham (AUS) bt Carin Clonda (EST) 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5
2nd round:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [9] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) 11-3, 11-6, 11-4
[5] Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) bt [13] Eloise O’Connor (AUS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
[3] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [12] Liu Kwai Chi (MAC) 11-1, 11-3, 11-5
[8] Karman Siu (HKG) bt [16] Kim A-Hyun (KOR) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
[6] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt [10] Natalie Newton (AUS) 11-3, 11-6, 11-6
[4] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) bt [11] Selena Shaikh (AUS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-5
[7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [14] Melissa Bonello (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-7
[2] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt [15] Nicole Stoneham (AUS) 11-3, 11-2, 11-5
Quarter-finals:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [5] Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8
[3] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [8] Karman Siu (HKG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4
[4] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) bt [6] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3
[2] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt [7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
Semi-finals:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [3] Christine Nunn (AUS) 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 13-11
[4] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) bt [2] Milou van der Heijden (NED) 8-11, 11-3, 16-14, 11-8
Final:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [4] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)
results (winner’s name most be in bold! – no spaces between each result as well – keeps compact)
Picture courtesy of WSA. For all the latest WSA Tour news: wsaworldtour.com