Ageless Latasha Khan Nabs Orange County Open For 10th WSA Career Title
by Matt Wagg
September 17, 2012 - Top seed Latasha Khan beat Nicolette Fernandes on home soil to claim the WSA Tour 10 Orange County Open 2012.
Having made it past compatriot Kristen Lange in straight games in round one, the veteran player then took four games to dispatch gutsy qualifier Mennat Nasser, who beat No.5 seed Maria Toor Pakay in her first round match.
A further three game win over Lauren Selby saw the Seattle-born American progress to her 21st WSA World Tour final. There she faced unseeded Nicolette Fernandes of Guyana, who not only beat No.8 seedBirgit Coufal in round one, but also No.4 Amander Landers-Murphy and No.6 Victoria Lust on her way to a surprise final appearance.
The American world No.28 showed enough experience however, to establish a firm lead in the final against her opponent, ten years her junior. Khan ran a narrow first game 11-9, before a similarly paced second game also went the 39-year-old’s way. Fernandes refused to go down without a fight, and a lull in pace gave the Guyanese international the opportunity to score some points, and Fernandes took the third game to a comfortable 11-5 score-line.
Khan came back in the fourth to re-establish her dominance and put down any threat of a comeback with a strong 11-7 win to claim the win and her milestone tenth WSA World Tour title.
Final:
[1] Latasha Khan (USA) bt Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7
Semi-finals:
[1] Latasha Khan (USA) bt [3] Lauren Selby (ENG) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [6] Victoria Lust (ENG) 6-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11
Quarter-finals:
[1] Latasha Khan (USA) bt [Q] Mennat Nasser (EGY) 3-11, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11
[3] Lauren Selby (ENG) bt Alexandra Norman (CAN) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [4] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) 12-10, 5-11, 12-10, 11-9
[6] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [2] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) 11-5, 11-13, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10
1st round:
[1] Latasha Khan (USA) bt Kristen Lange (USA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-8
[Q] Mennat Nasser (EGY) bt [5] Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 16-14
[3] Lauren Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Bine Malund Lind (DEN) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3
Alexandra Norman (CAN) bt [7] Orla Noom (NED) 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 9-11, 11-9
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [8] Birgit Coufal (AUT) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5
[4] Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) bt Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 5-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-7
[6] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [Q] Carrie Ramsey (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8
[2] Misaki Kobayashi (JPN) bt [Q] Antonella Falcione (ARG) 11-0, 11-6, 11-3
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