Pepsi glory for Kippax in Enschede

Sarah Kippax has stretched her unbeaten record in Enschede to eight matches after clinching the Pepsi Max Enschede Squash Open 2008 title with a straight games victory over compatriot Laura Hill. Kippax, who also won the WISPA event in 2006, didn’t enter the final as a favourite, despite being ranked sixteen places above Hill on the World Rankings.

Over the last two years the 25-year old English girl lost numerous times to her seven year older countrywomen, which included a loss to the ‘fire fighting’ Hill in the first qualifying round of the Forexx Dutch Open Squash 2008 earlier this month.

However, from the outset it was clear that the world number 31 was in her element in Enschede, moving and hitting freely against a tired looking Hill. The number four seed took the opening game with relative ease (11-8), after racing away to an early 8-3 lead, and managed to pull back an 8-2 deficit in the second game to effectively kill the match.

Even though Hill kept trying hard and never gave in, it wasn’t enough to upset the rhythm of the Hi-Tec World Squash Championships 2008 ambassador, who played an outstanding match. After 33 minutes the match was over with Kippax being able to lift the Pepsi trophy for the second time in three years: 11-8, 11-9 and 11-5. Enschede must now surely be her favourite stop on the WISPA circuit!

English final in Pepsi Max Enschede Open

Sarah Kippax and Laura Hill will contest the final of the Pepsi Max Enschede Open Squash 2008 tomorrow afternoon at 2pm.

The 25-year old Kippax surprisingly defeated Malaysia’s top seed Sharon Wee with relative ease. The world’s number 31, seeded fourth in Enschede, dominated play from the word go and never relinquished the initiative against her higher ranked opponent.

After 27 minutes the match was over with Kippax a deserved winner: 11-8, 11-8 and 11-5.

The 2006 champion will now face her compatriot Laura Hill in the event’s climax after the eight seeded English girl knocked out Latasha Khan in four tense games.

It was the 35-year old American who took first blood winning the opening game 11-6, but Hill fought back to take the second game to level the match. The third and fourth game were nip and tuck as both players delighted the crowd with high quality squash, but in the end it was 32-year old Hill who kept her calm at the crucial points as she clinched both games on tie-breaks: 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 15-13.

Favourites through to final in Enschede

Saffery Shocks Noom in Pepsi Tournament

Deon Saffery scored a big and significant upset win in the first round of the Pepsi Max Enschede Open Squash 2008 as she defeated last year’s runner-up Orla Noom in a marathon match. The pair split the first two games evenly, before engaging in a monstrous third game.

Whilst Noom looked to have the game wrapped up several times during an exciting 20 minutes, it was the determined Welsh girl who eventually clinched the vital game 18-16. Although the Dutch girl clawed her way back in the match in game four, Saffery ran away to a 6-0 lead in the fifth. A lead to which she held on until the finish line to secure a well earned spot in tomorrow’s quarter finals, where she will face America’s Latasha Khan after the number two seed beat qualifier Emma Chorley in straight games.

All other seeds moved through to the last eight, although it wasn’t plain sailing for all of them. Elise Ng (Hkg) had to save several match balls in her match against New Zealand’s Kylie Lindsay, before booking an Asian match-up with top seed Sharon Wee.

The Malaysian dropped a game against Lauren Selby in her opening match, without ever looking out of control of the match. 2006 champion Sarah Kippax scored a straightforward win over Celia Allamargot and will now face Joshna Chinappa, who ‘robbed’ the event of their second home player Dagmar Vermeulen, also in straight games. The fourth and final quarter final will be a battle between fire-fighter Laura Hill and Italy’s Manuela Manetta.

The English girl defeated Lucie Fialova in four games, while Manetta proved too strong for Vicky Hynes in a close ‘three setter’.