|
|
MEDIA RELEASE | |
|
|
Results
|
Media release: 22nd Feburary 2008 IT'S HISTORY IN THE MAKING
New South Wales hotshot Katrina Wright will fly the flag for her nation tomorrow in the final of the ABN AMRO Australian Open in Melbourne.
The 27-year-old, who won silver for Australia at the 2004 World Championships, will meet dual Commonwealth Games gold medalist Ahmad Siti Zalina, with the pair chasing their own slice of history.
Since the inception of the ABN AMRO Australian Open in 2005, no player or team has been able to successfully defend their title, with Siti Zalina just a solitary win away from re-writing the record books.
On the opposite side of the coin, Wright, who skipped Corrine Crouch and Kay Moran to the triples crown on Wednesday, will become the first woman to snare two titles at the one tournament if she can prevail of the Malaysian superstar.
“I guess either way one of us is going to break history,” Wright said following her straight sets semi-final victory against Karen Murphy.
“(Reaching the final) is a fairytale.
“I knew I had to hang in there today and you have to play well to defeat Kaz, anyone has to.
“The green is actually playing a bit kinder than it was the other day (in the triples final)…I’m actually pretty happy with it.
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about the final… what will be, will be.”
In the men’s final, Australian star Mark Casey will go in search of the big singles victory of his decorated career when he plays the winner of tomorrow’s second semi-final between Malaysia’s Safuan Said and national teammate Leif Selby.
Said, who defeated Halekulani’s Aron Sherriff in the final of last month’s World Championships in Christchurch, will run into a red-hot Selby, who is looking to avenge his loss to New Zealand’s Russell Meyer in the 2006 final.
Earlier today, Casey advanced to his first singles final at the ABN AMRO Australian Open by defeating close friend Alex Murtagh during a cut-throat tie-break.
Having dropped the opening set, Casey stormed back into the contest before prevailing 3-1 in the tie-break.
During an action packed day at the Darebin International Sports Centre tomorrow, the men’s second semi-final will commence at 11am AEDST, before the women’s final is staged at 2pm, with the men’s final immediately following that match at 4pm.
|