Emma Beddoes Bags 10th & Biggest Title In St Louis by Howard Harding March 8, 2015
- England's Emma Beddoes celebrated the tenth - and biggest - WSA World
Tour squash title of her career when she beat Egypt's Kanzy Emad
El-Defrawy in tonight's final of the Women's Emerson RC Pro Series in
St Louis, USA.
The top seed arrived in Missouri in fine form, having defeated
compatriot Laura Massaro, the world No.3, for the first time at last
week's Windy City Open in Chicago en-route to her first WSA World
Series quarter-final for more than three years.
Beddoes blasted through the WSA Challenger 15 field at The St Louis
Racquet Club to reach the final without dropping a game, downing Dane
Line Hansen, the third seed, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6 in the semi-finals.
Eighth seed El-Defrawy caused a couple of mighty upsets to reach the
final against expectation. The 20-year-old from Cairo beat Japan's No.4
seed Misaki Kobayashi in the quarter-finals, then survived a mammoth
five-game semi-final battle with second-seeded Indian Joshana Chinappa
to make the seventh Tour final of her career.
The young Egyptian, ranked 50 in the world, took an early 9-3 lead in
the final - but the experienced world No.16 Beddoes (pictured above,
right, with El-Defrawy) fought back to draw level. But after 20
minutes, it was El-Defrawy who drew first blood, taking a 13-11 lead
after converting her second game-ball.
The opening game clearly took its toll on underdog El-Defrawy as the
favourite extended the rallies to good effect to take the second game.
The Egyptian mounted a comeback in the third, keeping the game level
until seven-all, at which point it was clear that fatigue was a factor
as Beddoes moved ahead to take the game - before running away in a
one-sided fourth to win the title 11-13, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2.
"I'm really happy to get my biggest tournament win to date - it was a
tough final," conceded the 29-year-old from Leeds after her 58-minute
triumph.
"Kanzy was obviously feeling the effects of yesterday's semi final but
she is a tough competitor and fought with all the energy she had."
RESULTS: Women's Emerson RC Pro Series, St Louis, USA
