Kobayashi Over Cornett for Career-Biggest Title In St Louis by Howard Harding April 14, 2014
- Japan's Misaki Kobayashi claimed the biggest Women's Squash
Association World Tour title of her career after defeating Canadian
Samantha Cornett in the final of the Emerson WSA Racquet Club Pro
Series, the WSA Tour 10 event at St Louis Racquet Club in St Louis in
the US state of Missouri.
The world No35 from
Kanagawa - the highest highest-ranked Japanese woman of all-time - made
her breakthrough in the semi-finals where she beat top seed Emily
Whitlock, avenging her four-game defeat by the world No27 from England
in the Greenwich Open earlier in the year.
In the other semi,
North American hope Cornett, the No4 seed from Ottawa, ended the
giant-killing run of Amanda Landers-Murphy - beating the seventh-seeded
New Zealander who upset second-seeded American Latasha Khan in the
previous round.
The final marked the pair's third Tour meeting - all of which had been on US soil.
Kobayashi was in
sparkling form - the record-equalling five-time Japanese champion
despatching reigning Canadian champion Cornett 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 to win
the sixth WSA Tour title of her career.
"I'm happy with my
first Tour 10 title, pleased with the way I performed throughout the
tournament," said the jubilant 24-year-old afterwards. "This will build
the confidence I needed.
"What make me even
more happy is all those texts I received from my family and friends
from all over the world!! I really appreciate the great support.
"But this journey is
not ended yet - the Mayfair Open starts on Wednesday in Toronto. I'm
hoping to keep the good form from here! Onwards and upwards!"
RESULTS: Women's Emerson WSA Racquet Club Pro Series, St Louis, Missouri, USA
