Massaro Over El Weleily in WSA Windy City Final by Howard Harding March 4, 2014
- England's world No2 Laura Massaro stormed to her 13th title on the
WSA World Tour when she beat Raneem El Welily, the world No3 from
Egypt, in the final of the Women's METROsquash Windy City Open, the
Women's Squash Association (WSA) Gold 50 event at the University Club
of Chicago in Chicago, USA.
"I WON THE WINDY CITY
OPEN IN CHICAGO!!" screamed the exuberant 30-year-old from Preston to
her Twitter followers later. "So happy!! Thanks everyone for the
support! Celebration time!!"
Massaro went into the
match 10-6 ahead in her career head-to-head Tour tally with El Welily -
but the younger Egyptian was the winner the last time they met, in the
Malaysian Open semi-finals last September.
After the first two
games were shared, "Raneem held her first significant lead of the night
when she went up 8-5 in the third, but Laura quickly went ahead and
closed 11-9," explained event spokesman Jim Wellington.
With an error-free run in the fourth, when she dropped just three points, El Welily drew level.
But errors from both
players in the decider took the score to 8-4 in Massaro's favour. "Down
5-9, Raneem chose serve to Laura's forehand and started really smacking
it," continued Wellington. "Laura hit the tin but followed it up with a
winner, and then a stroke to take the match."
The 9-11, 11-8, 11-9,
3-11, 11-6 victory in 59 minutes marks Massaro's first Tour title
triumph of the year - and the first since lifting the British Open
trophy for the first time last May.
A disappointed El
Welily said after the final: "I think tonight's match was a cycle of up
and down patches from my side. I had an opportunity in the third at 8-5
up that I didn't make good use of.
"So obviously a little
bit disappointed but all credit to Laura who played really well
throughout the entire match," added the Cairo-based 25-year-old. "I
believe it was the crucial moments that made the difference and she
definitely managed them better than I did."
RESULTS: Women's METROsquash Windy City Open, Chicago, USA
Final: [1] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [2] Raneem El Welily (EGY) 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-6 (59m) Massaro Storms To Windy City Success
