Megan bags fifth title as she takes NT Open in Alice Springs
By HOWARD HARDING – Reporter
Top-seeded New Zealander Megan Craig swept through the field of the NT Open in Alice Springs, Australia, to win the WSA Tour 5 squash event at Alice Springs Squash Centre without dropping a game.
The 21-year-old world No42 despatched a trio of Australian opponents before meeting Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz-Wing, the No2 seed, in the final.
Tong was celebrating the sixth final of her career – and her third of the year – but had to battle for five games and fight back for 2/1 down to overcome 2012 champion Milou van der Heijden in a marathon semi.
But there was no stopping the Kiwi charge as Craig defeated her Hong Kong opponent 11-4, 12-10, 11-5 in just 31 minutes to win not only the fifth title of her career, but her fifth on Australian soil.
RESULTS: Women’s NT Open, Alice Springs, Australia
1st round:
[16] Kim A-Hyun (KOR) bt Ayla Stevens (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
[15] Nicole Stoneham (AUS) bt Samantha Calvert (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-9
Victoria Leow (AUS) bt [14] Melissa Bonello (AUS) 4-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-3
2nd round:
[1] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [13] Eloise O’Connor (AUS) 11-0, 11-2, 11-3
[8] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [16] Kim A-Hyun (KOR) 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8
[4] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [15] Nicole Stoneham (AUS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5
[5] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) bt Victoria Leow (AUS) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4
[6] Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) bt [11] Selena Shaikh (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2
[3] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt [9] Karman Siu (HKG) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
[7] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt [12] Liu Kwai Chi (MAC) 11-3, 11-3, 11-2
[2] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [10] Natalie Newton (AUS) 11-2, 11-1, 11-6
Quarter-finals:
[1] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [8] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 11-1 (18m)
[4] Christine Nunn (AUS) bt [5] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 (58m)
[3] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt [6] Kim Ga-Hye (KOR) 11-5, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6 (31m)
[2] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [7] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-3, 12-10, 11-3 (31m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [4] Christine Nunn (AUS) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 (22m)
[2] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [3] Milou van der Heijden (NED) 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 13-11 (53m)
Final:
[1] Megan Craig (NZL) bt [2] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-4, 12-10, 11-5 (31m)
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