RESULTS: Delaware State Open, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
1st round:
[1] Sina Wall (GER) bt Maria Toor Pakay (PAK) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
[8] Elpiniki Clement (USA) bt Jennifer Davis (USA) 11-2, 11-4, 11-6
[4] Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt Carrie Hastings (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-9
[5] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt Julianne Chu (USA) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5
Larissa Stephenson (NZL) bt [7] Tamika Saxby (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
[3] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 11-4, 11-8, 11-5
[6] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt Alex Clark (SCO) 11-5, 11-6, 1-0 ret.
[2] Leonie Holt (ENG) bt Katja Amir (GER) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3
Quarter-finals:
[1] Sina Wall (GER) bt [8] Elpiniki Clement (USA) 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
[5] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [4] Laura Pomportes (FRA) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7
[3] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) bt Larissa Stephenson (NZL) 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8
[6] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [2] Leonie Holt (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3
Semi-finals:
[5] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [1] Sina Wall (GER) 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7
[6] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [3] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 16-14, 12-10, 11-8
Final:
[5] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [6] Samantha Cornett (CAN) 11-5, 11-4, 12-10
After dismissing the top seed in the semi-finals, fifth seed Deon Saffery of Wales went on to lift the Women's Delaware State Open title in the USA after beating Canadian Samantha Cornett in the final of the WISPA World Tour 4 squash event at Vicmead Hunt Club in Wilmington, Delaware.
Saffery made her breakthrough in the quarter-finals where she beat France's fourth seed Laura Pomportes before going on to oust German favourite Sina Wall in five games.
Cornett, the 20-year-old sixth seed from Ottawa also upset two higher seeded players Leonie Holt and Thaisa Serafini - the second and third seeds, respectively - before lining up against Saffery in the final.
But Barry-born Saffery defied her world ranking of 114 to beat Cornett - rankled more than 30 places higher - 11-5, 11-4, 12-10 to secure the second WISPA Tour title of her career.
The win will be a significant confidence-booster for 23-year-old Saffery who now turns her attention to domestic duties at the British National Championships this week in Manchester, England.