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MEDIA RELEASE | |
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Results
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Media release: 21th Feburary 2008 GOLD COAST QUALIFIERS GO ALL THE WAY
Australian glamour girls Sam Shannahan and Kelsey Cottrell have been beaten by a pair of qualifiers in the final of the ABN AMRO Australian Open.
Facing off against the Gold Coast’s Linda Gardiner and Gail Waitai, the tournament’s number nine seeds were unable to complete their fairytale run through the main draw, which included a quarter-final victory over reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalists Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy.
“It was a great experience,” Waitai said following the against-the-odds victory.
“We’ve come through the qualifiers and have managed to win it…I guess it just goes to show that the old chooks can still play.”
The favorites looked in ominous touch early storming to an 8-0 lead after just four ends of the final, before the underdogs made a late charge.
Under pressure to hold their nerve, the Shannahan/Cotrell combination picked up some late shots to eventually take the first set 10-6.
With the crowd clearly backing the young guns, Gardiner and Waitai were undeterred as they launched a thrilling fightback.
The pair claimed the second set 8-5 and continued that momentum into the tie-break.
Picking up two shots on each of the opening two ends, the Broadview duo snuffed out any potential challenge from the number nine seeds to take a memorable 6-10, 8-5, 4-1 victory and head back to the sunshine state with some impressive excess baggage.
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