New Zealand's Megan Craig is WSA Player of the Month by Nathan Clarke 1ST JUL 2015
- New Zealander Megan Craig has picked up the PSA Women’s Player of the
Month award for June 2015 after a spell of four weeks on home soil in
which she reeled off a succession of fine performances on the women’s
tour.
Craig began the month at the Fitzherbert Rowe Manawatu Lawyers NZ
International Classic where she reached the semi-final stage before
bowing out to eventual tournament champion Joey Chan in a performance
that set the platform for the 22-year-old to push on just a week later
at the Squashways Canterbury International Open 2015.
Seeded second for the event Craig was ruthless as she dispatched Yura
Choi, Hwayeong Eum and Eleanor Epke in straight game wins to reach the
final against top seeded Siyoli Waters – ranked almost 20 places above
Craig on the World Rankings.
But Craig produced an inspired performance on home-soil, coming through
a titanic five game thriller with South African Waters to claim the
trophy, the ninth of her career, in what was her first ever tournament
victory on home soil.
“I am delighted to win a WSA tournament at home,” exclaimed Craig after the win.
Seven days later and she found herself competing for silverware once
again at the Invercargill Licensing Trust NZ Southern Open, having
bested Waters in the second consecutive tournament – this time coming
through another brutal five-game thriller at the semi-final stage to
secure a place against Japanese star Misaki Kobayashi in the
title-decider.
After storming out of the blocks to take the opening game 11-6, Craig
looked on course to seal an impressive home-double, but the efforts of
overcoming Waters the previous day began to take its toll and Kobayashi
pounced to take the match 3-1 and deny Craig a second consecutive title.
