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MEDIA RELEASE | |
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Results
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Media release: 20th February 2008 KATRINA HAS THE WRIGHT STUFF AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Former Australian star Katrina Wright has led her side to a heart-stopping victory in the final of the ABN AMRO Australian Open women’s triples event in Melbourne today (20/2).
Facing off against a powerful outfit, that included Test veteran Brenda Thompson and 1996 World Champion Carmen Anderson, Wright showed nerves of steel down the stretch before delivering on the impossible.
Playing alongside Scottish international Kay Moran and Club Merrylands’ Corrine Crouch, the star-studded trio looked down and out, but demonstrated their fighting spirit to prevail with a plume of pressure hanging over their heads.
Down one-nil through the opening end of the best-of-three tie-break, Wright came to the fore as she drove superbly to square the ledger at one-apiece, before pinching the final end to claim a euphoric victory.
“To get through and win the final is absolutely awesome,” a delighted Wright said following her side’s 6-5, 5-10, 2-1 victory.
“It’s the first time we’ve actually (all) played together.
“Corinne and I have played in the past…but Kay and I never have and it was great.”
While Thompson, Anderson and Linda Morish had every right to feel sorry for themselves, the Queensland-based outfit defied the odds and the experts to reach the final in the first place.
During this morning’s semi-finals, they defeated Karin Wilkinson, Margaret Smith and Beth Quinlan, the tournament’s number two seeds and defending champions, before running into the rampant New South Wales combination in the afternoon.
“We were holding game in the second end of the tie-breaker and we probably would have won it had we held them,” Thompson said.
“But Katrina came up with a good shot and that was that.
“I thought the girls (Linda and Carmen) played very well all tournament, though.”
During the early stages of the opening set, the Cabramatta stars jumped to a 6-1 lead before the vanquished rallied, claiming singles on the four remaining ends to drop the set by a solitary shot.
In the second set, Anderson climbed another level, as Morish provided a beautiful platform, which allowed her to build on the head.
With Wright bowling superbly, it was hard for the Queenslanders to get away, but after dropping three on the opening end, they claimed 10 of the final 12 shots to send the final into a tie-break.
With the tension mounting, the rival sides traded shots, before the victors were crowned, with the Melbourne crowd showing their appreciation. |