Amanda Landers-Murphy overcame third seed Tong Tsz-Wing to clinch the Toyota Barossa Valley Open 2013 at the Rex Barossa Aquatic Centre, Tanunda, South Australia.
After falling at the final hurdle in last year’s event, the top seed from New Zealand improved her form after last week’s disappointing exit in the City of Perth semis, to progress to Sunday’s final having dropped just one game on route.
The world No.37 began the Tour5 event by dispatching compatriot Abbie Palmer, followed by Alexandra Fullerof South Africa in round two. A second game wobble against tenth seed Lisa Camilleri was the only blemish on the 22-year-olds run through to her ninth WSA career final, after a straight games defeat of unseeded Korean Kim Ga-Hye in the semi’s.
In the final she faced Tong Tsz-Wing in the Hong Kong national’s first final of her career. Tsz-Wing saw wins against Korean pair Bae Chan Mi and Ahn Eun Chan in the opening rounds, followed by the defeat of Jessica Turnbull and an hour-long five-game battle against second seeded compatriot Liu Tsz-Ling in the semi-final.
The higher seed took the initiative in a narrow opening game, but the 20-year-old Tsz-wing fought back well in the second. Landers-Murphy regained the upper hand in claiming the third, before the exertions of the No.3 seed’s semi-final began to take their toll, allowing the Kiwi to complete the win in four games.
The Barossa Valley Open is Landers-Murphy’s fourth WSA career win, her first of 2013 and the New Zealand national is also seeded to win next week’s South Australia Open, in which Tsz-Wing is seeded fourth.
Final:
[1] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [3] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-9 8-11 11-8 11-5 (54m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) 11-6 11-5 11-5 (22m)
[3] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 11-7 9-11 3-11 13-11 11-9 (64m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt [10] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 11-9 3-11 11-7 11-7 (37m)
Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) bt Ji-Hyun Lee (KOR) 8-11 11-6 11-4 11-7 (31m)
[3] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 11-6 11-4 11-3 (26m)
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt Julie Lee (RSA) 11-3 11-2 11-4 (16m)
Round Two:
[1] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 11-4 14-12 11-2 (24m)
[10] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt [5] Karman Siu (HKG) 11-8 14-12 11-8 (27m)
Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) bt [4] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 12-10 6-11 4-11 11-8 11-4 (38m)
Ji-Hyun Lee (KOR) bt [11] Jennifer Brown (AUS) 11-6 11-1 11-7 (20m)
[6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [16] Belen Etchechoury (ARG) 17-15 14-12 11-8 (38m)
[3] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Ahn Eun Chan (KOR) 4-11 11-3 11-2 12-10 (34m)
Julie Lee (RSA) bt Juee Bhide (NZL) 11-8 11-1 11-3 (16m)
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [14] Stacey Cope (AUS) 11-5 11-4 11-1 (15m)
Round One:
[1] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Abbie Palmer (NZL) 11-5 11-6 11-4 (17m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt [13] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) 11-3 11-2 11-2 (15m)
[5] Karman Siu (HKG) bt Ar Huyn Kim (KOR) 17-15 11-7 11-7 (27m)
[10] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt Eleanor Epke (NZL) 11-9 11-6 11-6 (20m)
[4] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt Yang Yeon-Soo (KOR) 11-7 11-9 3-11 13-11 (34m)
Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) bt [9] Selena Shaikh (AUS) 11-2 11-5 11-7 (19m)
Ji-Hyun Lee (KOR) bt [7] Taylor Flavell (AUS) 11-6 10-12 11-4 11-6 (30m)
[11] Jennifer Brown (AUS) bt Eloise O’Connor (AUS) 11-6 11-8 11-1 (22m)
[16] Belen Etchechoury (ARG) bt Jasmin Burnard (AUS) 11-6 11-4 11-3 (17m)
[6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Hayley Hughes (NZL) 11-5 11-2 11-5 (17m)
Ahn Eun Chan (KOR) bt [12] Nicole Stoneham (AUS) 11-5 11-4 11-4 (20m)
[13] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Bae Chan Mi (KOR) 11-4 11-3 11-5 (24m)
Juee Bhide (NZL) bt [15] Heather Pilley (AUS) 11-7 11-6 11-1 (18m)
Julie Lee (RSA) bt [8] Julia Lecoq (FRA) 11-4 8-11 11-13 13-11 11-4 (48m)
[14] Stacey Cope bt Zoya Khalid (PAK) w/o
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt Tanya Marlor (AUS) 11-7 11-3 11-6 (19m)