Australian Squash Open 2010: Brown and Urquhart crowned as Women’s Doubles champs
What better place to take a title other than your homeland. Australia’s Kasey Brown and Donna Urquhart did just that. The professionals clinched the Women’s doubles title at the Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne.
25-year-old Kasey Brown made her mark in the game back in the year 2003. She remained the Australian Junior Squash champion for a period of two years. Furthermore, she won the 2006 Senior title, prior to winning the Australian Open Women’s singles final the same year.
Cruising through the initial rounds with straight set wins, Brown defeated Japan’s Sachiko Shinta 9-0, 9-2 and verily 9-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Australian Squash Open.
Kasey came up against fellow country-woman Amelia Pittock in the semi-finals of the championship. Pittock was crushed as she was eliminated, upon losing 2-9, 1-9 and 2-9 to Brown.
The athlete bagged her first ever Australian Open win as she defeated Australian companion, Dianne Desira in the final match of the tournament. Desira disappointingly lost 2-9, 3-9 and 1-9, three sets in a row to Kasey.
Presently ranked no. 10 in the world, Brown won an additional five Women's International Squash Players Association titles that year.
Collectively coached by Rodney Martin and Bryon Davis, 23-year-old Donna Urquhart has won five Australian Junior titles in her career. The athlete made it to the Scottish, as well as British Open junior finals in the year 2002 and 2003.
The sportswoman won the 2009 Australian Nationals as she defeated Australia’s Lisa Camilleri in a four set match.
Urquhart took the first set thirteen points to eleven. Camilleri however, came back in the second set to win it eleven points to six. Lisa was taken down in the remaining two sets as Donna took the third set based upon an eleven to six point win. Furthermore, Urquhart won the fourth set eleven points to eight.
Apart from her Junior Championship titles, the athlete also currently has 5 WISPA titles to her name. Donna is currently ranked no. 18 in the world.
The 2010 Australian Squash Open featured England’s Jenny Duncalf and Allison Waters. The Britt’s were opposed by Australia’s Amelia Pittock and Lisa Camilleri.
Duncalf and Waters struggled to keep up with the Australian duo. However, the Aussies proved hard to level with. Pittock and Camilleri took the first set eleven points to eight.
Britain’s sportswomen stepped up their game in the second set as they went nip and tuck with Amelia and Lisa. The professionals were tied at one stage in the game until Camilleri and Pittock took the final point and defeated Jenny and Allison 11-10 in the third and final set.
Alongside, Australia’s Kasey Brown and Donna Urquhart were made to face New Zealand’s Jaclyn Hawkes and Kylie Lindsay. The duality from New Zealand bagged the first set of the match with and eleven point to four win.
The tables were however, turned on Lindsay and Hawkes, as the Australian team came-back in the second set by winning it eleven points to four.
Kasey and Donna made a place for themselves in the final by defeating the two from New Zealand in the final set of the match. Kylie and Jaclyn were beaten 11-8 in the third set.
The All-Australian Women’s doubles final consisted of Kasey Brown, Donna Urquhart, Lisa Camilleri and Amelia Pittock.
Urquhart and Brown took the first set 11-8, with a comfortable four point margin. Although, Camilleri and Pittock showed their fellow-countrywomen what they’re all about, by clinching the second set 11-10.
The final set went in favour of Kasey and Donna, as they proved to be the better pair. Their eleven points to five win led them to victory.
Kasey and Donna shared the 2010 Australian Open Women’s doubles title. However, Kasey additionally bagged another title at the tournament. Hopefully, both of the players will do well at the upcoming 2010 Common Wealth Games, which are to be held in Delhi, India.
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