Top seeds justify their billings
30-May-2010 - Squash Australia
Top seeds Mike Corren and Lisa Camilleri justified their top billings when they took out the two professional squash tournaments in Perth on Sunday.
South Australia’s Corren racked up his 25th title on the men’s Professional Squash Association tour when he beat Melbourne’s Rex Hedrick in four games 6-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-7 to win the City of Perth International.
Camilleri, from Tully in Far North Queensland, claimed her eighth trophy on the women’s tour and her second in succession after beating Victoria’s Melody Francis also in four games 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 11-5 to win the Black Knight Open.
Corren moves into second place on the list of current players who have won PSA titles, behind only fellow Australian David Palmer, who has won 26.
The colourful 36-year-old won his first title in Hong Kong in 1996 and has hardly stopped winning since then despite a career that has been marred by a number of chronic injuries.
He gets a chance for his 26th title when the Australian Squash Tour heads to Kalgoorlie for next week’s Golden Open men’s tournament, where he is the defending champion.
Corren went into the tournament with a back injury but still had too much class for the rest of the field.
“I’m still struggling a bit, but each week I am getting better and better,” he said.
Corren has been training twice a day in Adelaide with South Australian Academy of Squash coach Geoff Davenport and he credited Davenport with getting him to the form he is currently in.
“I might be 36 but I’m still working on my game all the time,” he said.
“I’m training twice a day – I’m not just sitting back and resting on my laurels.
“You are only as fit as the work you put in.”
Earlier Camilleri showed she is well and truly back to her best with her win over the up and coming Francis, who is vying with the Queenslander for a Commonwealth Games spot.
Camilleri, 27, won the Top End Open in Darwin two weeks ago in commanding fashion but she was made to work hard for her victory in Perth by the 21-year-old Francis
“Everything feels right at the moment,” Camilleri said.
“Training’s going well and I’m really happy with how I’m hitting the ball.”
The Queenslander next plays the South Australian Open in two weeks time where she is also the top seed.
She has also penciled in the Victorian Open and The Rock Building Society Queensland Open ahead of the Australian Open.
“I’m not sure about the others (the Tasmanian Open and the two NSW events) but I am playing in Melbourne and I’m definitely playing the Queensland – I mean I am a Queenslander,” she stressed.
“But it’s great to have this tour happening for us now and to have all these different tournaments.”
Results (prefix denotes seeding):
Semi-finals
City of Perth International
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt 3-Justin Beard (SA) 11-8, 11-6- 11-4
4-Rex Hedrick (Vic) bt 5-Jake Alexander (Qld) 7-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-1, 11-2
Black Knight Open
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 5-Sarah Cardwell (Vic) 11-2, 11-7, 11-6
3-Melody Francis (Vic) bt 2-Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 11-5
Finals
City of Perth International
1-Mike Corren (SA) bt 4-Rex Hedrick (Vic) 6-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-7
Black Knight Open
1-Lisa Camilleri (Qld) bt 3-Melody Francis (Vic) 11-3, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6