English teenager Emily Whitlock doubled her WSA title count at the weekend, after winning the SRAM NSC Series No3 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 18-year-old British Junior Champion nearly didn’t make the final at all, as she was down three match-balls against Anaka Alankamony of India in the semi-final, before rallying from two games behind to set up a first and second seed final clash.
Whitlock’s final opponent, home-hope and No2 seed Siti Munriah Jusoh made it to the final without dropping a game, but was forced an extra 12-points into a tie-break game with Liu Tsz-Ling in the second game of their semi-final.
The top seeds then battled it out at Kuala Lumpur’s National Squash Centre in a 45-minute clash. After a close three games, Jusoh seemed to tire in the fourth and allowed the world No32 to claim her second WSA title, having won her first in last month’s Finnish Open.
Final:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [2] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) – 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3Semi-finals:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [8] Anaka Alankamony (IND) – 9-11, 7-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-3 [2] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt [3] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) – 11-8, 17-15, 12-10Quarter-finals:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt [7] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) – 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 [8] Anaka Alankamony (IND) bt [4] Carmen Lee (HKG) – 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 [3] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [5] Pushppa Devi (MAS) – 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 [2] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt [Q] Celine Yeap (MAS) – 11-6, 11-4, 11-41st round:
[1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) – 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 [7] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [Q] Teh Min Jie (MAS) – 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 [4] Carmen Lee (HKG) bt Vanessa Raj (MAS) – 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 [8] Anaka Alankamony (IND) bt Eloise O’Connor (AUS) – 11-1, 11-1, 11-4 [5] Pushppa Devi (MAS) bt Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) – 11-2, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4 [3] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [Q] Lim Jee Nee (MAS) – 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 [Q] Celine Yeap (MAS) bt [6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) – 11-5, 12-10, 11-8 [2] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt [Q] Nazihah Hanis (MAS) – 11-5, 11-6, 11-3