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27-Jul, Finals:
Top seeds
take SA titles
Andrew Dent
reports
Top seed Mike Corren achieved another career milestone on
Sunday when he took out his home state’s squash title for the first
time with an 11-7, 11-7, 12-10 win over Queensland’s Zac Alexander
in the final of the South Australian Open in Adelaide.
The title was Corren’s 18th on the main professional squash tour but
his first win in front of his home fans at the SA Open.
In a good day for the top seeds, Victoria’s Amelia Pittock
won the women’s final when she beat Lisa Camilleri 11-7, 11-9, 11-9.
Corren never looked in danger against Alexander, the 19-year-old
scholarship holder with the Australian Institute of Sport. Although
Alexander came out blazing with his usual attacking style, Corren
was able to control the front and close out the big points in all
three games.
 “I
don’t think he’s got the variation yet," Corren said of his younger
opponent. "He plays very fast, but I was able to bring it back – but
it was a tough match.
“I was always wary of him -- I was wary of everyone this week – but
I knew I’d done the hard work and set myself for this one, so I had
a bit more belief.
"I think I wanted it more than he did."
In the women’s event, Pittock looked very impressive as she played
almost faultless squash to defeat an in-form Camilleri and retain
the title she won last year.
The world number 35 won her
second title of the year with the victory and the fifth of her
career, giving her a welcome confidence boost ahead of the
Australian Open.
 The
win follows her victory the previous week in the Melbourne Open
challenger tournament.
Pittock stamped herself as a
serious contender for the Australian Open, hitting every ball
cleanly and crisply and barely making a mistake throughout the
final.
Camilleri didn’t play badly, however any loose shots she hit were
punished, whereas Pittock didn’t give the Queenslander any loose
balls to put away.
"I was very nervous today and I don’t know why,” Camilleri said. "I
couldn’t relax during the warm-up. She was the number one seed so I
had nothing to lose, but I just couldn’t relax.”
Pittock and Camilleri both play qualifiers in the first round of the
Australian Open, while Corren takes on third seeded New Zealand
Kashif Shuja.
Alexander will have to try and qualify for the tournament, which
gets underway with the qualifying event on Tuesday. |
One to savour
Both players will now head to the South Australian town of Clare for
the Australian Open, but
34-year-old Corren admitted he hadn’t been thinking that far ahead.
 "I
have set myself for this one (the SA Open) for the past few months.
I wasn’t thinking about Clare -- I’m originally from here and I’ve
always had a crack at this tournament but come off second best.
"I thought this year I’d give it a go. I’ve been training four
months for this. I set myself for it at the start of the year before
the dates even came out."
Corren had a bad run with injuries in 2007 and had to decide
earlier this year whether he wanted to continue on the tour.
However, after moving to Malaysia and putting in a period of solid
training he knew he didn’t want to quit just yet.
He will head back to Kuala Lumpur at the end of the Australian Open
for more training before heading to the US at the end of the year
and a series of tournaments in North America.
"I’m feeling as keen as I ever did. I know I’m heading into my last
few years on the circuit, but I think if I retired now I’d regret
it."
 |
 Racquets
SA South
Australia Open
2008
Edwardstown, 23-27 Jul, $4k |
Round One
24-Jul |
Quarters
25-Jul |
Semis
26-Jul |
Final
27-Jul |
[1] Mike Corren (Aus)
11/6, 11/8, 12/10
[LL] Peter Taylor (Aus) |
[1] Mike Corren
11/9, 13/11 rtd (43m)
[Q] Jason Mudge |
[1] Mike Corren
11/7, 11/8, 11/6 (34m)
[7] Justin Beard |
[1] Mike Corren
11/7, 11/7, 12/10 (39m)
[2] Zac Alexander |
[6] Josh Cardwell
(Aus)
11/2, 11/2, 11/2
[Q] Jason Mudge (Aus) |
[3] Steven Robinson
(Aus)
11/8, 14/12, 12/10
[Q] Nathan Stevenson (Aus) |
[3] Steven Robinson
11/9, 12/14, 9/11, 11/9, 11/9 (68m)
[7] Justin Beard |
[7] Justin Beard (Aus)
11/4, 11/8, 11/7
Neeraj Aggarwal (Aus) |
[Q] Tim Cowell (Aus)
11/9, 4/11, 11/6, 9/11, 11/7
[5] Carl Hampson (Rsa) |
[5] Carl Hampson
7/11, 11/6, 11/9, 11/8 (45m)
Luke Forster |
[5] Carl Hampson
5/11, 11/7, 8/11, 11/6, 11/3 (57m)
[2] Zac Alexander |
Luke Forster (Aus)
11/5, 8/11, 6/11, 11/8, 11/6
[4] Joseph Desira (Aus) |
[Q] Nathan Kam (Aus)
11/8, 5/11, 8/11, 11/8 11/5
[8] Rex Hedrick (Aus) |
[8] Rex Hedrick
11/4, 11/6, 11/6 (35m)
[2] Zac Alexander |
Brent Dunkley (Aus)
11/2, 11/3, 11/6
[2] Zac Alexander (Aus) |
 Racquets
SA South
Australia Open
2008
Edwardstown, 23-27 Jul, $4k |
Round One
24-Jul |
Quarters
25-Jul |
Semis
26-Jul |
Final
27-Jul |
[1] Amelia Pittock
(Aus)
--- |
[1] Amelia Pittock
11/0, 11/3, 11/5 (23m)
[5] Maggy Marshall |
[1] Amelia Pittock
11/1, 11/4, 11/1 (21m)
[3] Adel Weir |
[1] Amelia Pittock
11/7, 11/9, 11/9 (35m)
[2] Lisa Camilleri |
[5] Maggy Marshall
(Aus)
11/7, 12/10, 11/1
Paige Inia-McGarvey (Aus) |
[3] Adel Weir (Rsa)
11/1, 11/3, 14/12
Vicky Cardwell (Aus) |
[3] Adel Weir
7/11, 11/7, 11/6, 11/4 (26m)
[8] Kimberley Bessell |
[8] Kimberley Bessell
(Aus)
7/11, 11/8, 12/10, 11/8
Bonny Wu (Aus) |
Zoe Petrovansky
(Aus)
14/12, 11/9, 11/9
[7] Sarah Cardwell (Aus) |
Zoe Petrovansky
8/11, 11/4, 11/4, 11/7 (25m)
[4] Jackie Laurensen |
Zoe Petrovansky
11/4, 11/3, 11/6 (23m)
[2] Lisa Camilleri |
Alma Kushartanti (Aus)
11/7, 14/16, 3/11, 11/7, 16/14
[4] Jackie Laurensen (Nzl) |
Lyndal Morrison (Aus)
11/1, 11/5, 11/8
[6] Melody Francis (Aus) |
[6] Melody Francis
13/11, 11/0, 11/8 (30m)
[2] Lisa Camilleri |
---
[2] Lisa Camilleri (Aus) |
26-Jul, Semis:
Youth v
Experience in SA
Andrew Dent
reports
It will be a battle of youth verses experience in the men’s
final of the South Australian Open squash tournament after top seed
Mike Corren and 19-year-old Zac Alexander won through
to the final.
Corren overcame fellow South Australian Justin Beard 11-7, 11-8,
11-6, while Alexander had to come from 2/1 down against South
Africa’s Carl Hampson to grind out a 5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3
win.
Hampson had looked in control of his match with Alexander as the
Queenslander played more defensively than usual. The South African
took advantage of any loose shots from his opponent and appeared
headed for an upset, but once the 19-year-old Alexander switched to
his normal attacking game he stormed back into the match.
 “I
went into my shell a bit – I wasn’t attacking him or putting any
pressure on him,” Alexander said.
“When I went down I had to change and it worked.”
Alexander won his first title on the main tour in Malaysia in March
and was runner up at four subsequent tournaments. Corren, on the
other hand, has been in 25 finals and won nine of them.
The top two seeds also made the women’s final, with Amelia
Pittock beating South African Adel Weir 11-1, 11-4, 11-1 and
Lisa Camilleri too good for Zoe Petrovansky 11-4, 11-3, 11-6.
25-Jul, Quarters:
Petrovansky continues run of upsets
Andrew Dent
reports
Queensland’s Zoe Petrovansky continued her run of upsets at the
South Australian Open squash championships when she beat fourth
seeded New Zealander Jackie Laurenson in the quarter-finals.
Petrovansky won 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 to set up a semi-final with
second seeded Lisa Camilleri.
The 18-year-old Petrovansky beat seventh seeded Sarah Cardwell in
the opening round to advance to the semi-finals of only her second
tournament on the main professional tour.
The second semi-final will be between top seed Amelia Pittock of
Victoria and third seeded South African Adel Weir.
In the men’s draw both top seeds moved into the semi-finals but will
meet unexpected opponents.
Top seed Mike Corren will face South Africa’s Carl Hampson while
second seed Zac Alexander takes on Adelaide’s Justin Beard, who
ousted third seeded Victorian Steve Robinson.
24-Jul, Round One:
Forster stuns Desira
Andrew Dent
reports
 Queensland’s Luke Forster caused the biggest upset of the day
when he beat fourth seeded Victorian Joseph Desira in the first
round of the South Australian Open squash championships in Adelaide
on Thursday.
Forster came from 2/1 down to outlast Desira 11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8,
11-6, adding to the Victorian’s disappointing run of form in recent
Australian tournaments.
The 23-year-old Forster, from Toowoomba, now faces in form South
African Carl Hampson in the quarter-finals.
In the day’s other upsets, South Australian qualifier Jason Mudge
ousted sixth seeded Victorian Josh Cardwell 11-2, 11-2, 11-2, while
in the women’s draw Queensland’s Zoe Petrovansky made it a
bad day for the Cardwell family when she beat seventh seeded Sarah
14-12, 11-9, 11-9.
It was plain sailing for the top seeded men as Mike Corren
and Zac Alexander both won through to the quarter-finals in
straight games.
Corren beat qualifying lucky loser Peter Taylor 11-6, 11-8, 12-10
and Alexander beat South Australian Brent Dunkley 11-2, 11-3, 11-6.
Top seeded women Amelia Pittock and Lisa Camilleri both had byes.
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