Millie Makes Tour Title Breakthrough In New York by Howard Harding November 24, 2014
- Successive upsets over seeds - including the top two - in the
inaugural Women's LiveStuff Open in the USA led England's Millie
Tomlinson to her maiden title on the Women's Squash Association World
Tour after victory over second seed Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy in the final
of the WSA Tour 5 event at LiveTechnology Holdings in Tuxedo Park, New
York.
With her studies at Yale University now behind her, the
recently-crowned World University Champion from Derbyshire is now
focussed on her professional squash career.
The unseeded 22-year-old defeated Mexico's No4 seed Ivonne Diaz, then
sixth seed Nayelly Hernandez, also from Mexico, before lining up
against event favourite Sabrina Sobhy, the US number four, in the
semi-final.
The English underdog downed the top seed in four games to reach the
first final of her career - while, in the other semi, Egyptian
El-Defrawy despatched Canada's third string Nikki Todd in straight
games to claim her sixth final appearance.
The climax was a marathon encounter - with both players experiencing
the longest matches of their careers. Tomlinson took a two-game lead,
but El-Defrawy, the 20-year-old world No74, struck back to draw level.
Tomlinson, ranked 119 in the world, refused to buckle and found second
wind to reclaim the initiative in the decider to close out the match
11-7, 11-9, 2-11, 10-12, 11-8 to become a WSA Tour title winner for the
first time after 90 minutes.
RESULTS: Women's LiveStuff Open, Tuxedo Park, NY, USA
