Siddall Celebrates First WISPA Tour Title
Men's semi-finals:
[1] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [4] Jonathan Harford (ENG) 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-10 (3-1) (58m)
[2] Dylan Bennett (NED) bt [6] Amr Swelim (EGY) 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (53m)
Women's final:
[5] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt [1] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-1, 7-9, 9-7, 1-9, 9-7 (51m)
England's Lauren Siddall clinched her maiden WISPA World Tour title after a dramatic upset over her Pontefract club team-mate Rebecca Botwright in the women's final of the inaugural Grays Norwegian Open Squash Championships in Oslo.
It was the 22-year-old from Yorkshire's second upset in the event being held at the new Myrens Sportssenter. In the quarter-finals, Siddall defeated second seed Line Hansen, from Denmark, before overcoming compatriot Emma Beddoes, the No7 seed, in the semi-finals.
In the final, Siddall twice led against Botwright, but twice the top seed came back to draw level. But the fifth seed held her nerve to fight back from 4-7 down in the fifth game to record an impressive 9-1, 7-9, 9-7, 1-9, 9-7 win in 51 minutes.
When asked her reaction immediately after her first ever Tour win over Botwright, Siddall said: "Shocked, the last few points went past in a blur. I thought I’d lost it after the fourth because she turned the match around using her speed. I had to slow it down a little and she made a few errors and my fitness was good enough to last the in fifth. We'll have a few beers now!"
An English double is on the cards in Oslo after top seed Daryl Selby beat compatriot Jonathan Harford, the fourth seed, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-10 (3-1) in 58 minutes to reach the men's final.
His opponent will be second seed Dylan Bennett after the Dutchman defeated Egypt's sixth seed Amr Swelim 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 in 53 minutes in the other semi-final.
Selby, 24, from Essex, is celebrating his fourth appearance in a PSA Tour final, while 22-year-old Eindhoven-based Bennett will be marking his fifth.