WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Victorian Open Squash Championships, Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [4] Callum O'Brien (NZL) 15-8 12-15 15-8 15-9 (62m)
[15] Sherif Kamel (EGY) bt [16] Ahmed Hamza (EGY) 15-13 14-15 15-8 15-9 (91m)
Final:
[1] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [15] Sherif Kamel (EGY) 15-8, 15-10, 11-15, 15-6 (61m)

Women's semi-finals:
Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [8] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 5-9 9-5 9-0 9-1 (63m)
[2] Dianne Desira (AUS) bt [5] Aisling Blake (IRL) 9-3 9-1 8-10 9-2 (58m)
Final:
Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [2] Dianne Desira (AUS) 9-7, 9-3, 9-1 (38m)

Pilley & Leevey Win Maiden Victorian Open Titles

Australia's Cameron Pilley and New Zealander Tamsyn Leevey won their first Victorian Open Squash Championships titles after dramatic victories in the finals in Wangaratta, Australia.

In only her third WISPA World Tour event, Tamsyn Leevey created history by becoming the first unseeded player to win the Women's Open title during the 57-year history of the championship.

Leevey, who had earlier disposed of the number 1, 4 and 8 seeds, was too powerful for second-seeded Australian Dianne Desira who was trying to win her third successive home-town title.

Although both players were feeling the effects of gruelling semi-finals, held earlier in the day, it was the Kiwi's resilience and stroke play which enabled her to capture the Victorian crown 9-7 9-3 9-1 in just 38 minutes.

After being runner-up last year, top seed Cameron Pilley claimed his first Victorian Open title with an emphatic four-game victory over 15th seeded Egyptian Sherif Kamel 15-8 15-10 11-15 15-6.

Pilley, who is based at the Australian Institute of Sport squash unit in Queensland, found great support from Commonwealth Games coach Geoff Hunt - himself a past winner of this title on no fewer than 10 occasions.

In his earlier matches, Kamel was able to outlast his opponents through his speed and agility around the court.  The final was a different affair with the more experienced Pilley taking the initiative from the first point, displaying a wide array of shots which had the Egyptian teenage sensation constantly scrambling at the back of the court.

Although drained from his 91-minute semi final victory, Kamel was still able to fight back from a 2-0 deficit by taking the third game 15-11, at which stage he was well and truly back in the match.

Unfortunately the spurt was only short-lived and Pilley comprehensively took the fourth game and the match.