Chan Checks Out With Classic Crown by Howard Harding June 7, 2015
- Hong Kong's Joey Chan ended a three-year Tour title drought when she
beat Japan's Misaki Kobayashi in today's final of the Women's
Fitzherbert Rowe Manawatu Lawyers NZ International Classic, the WSA
Challenger 10 squash event at SquashGym Palmerston North in Palmerston
North, New Zealand.
It was the pair's sixth Tour meeting since 2010, with honours alternating over the past five clashes.
Chan went into the match as the event favourite, but it was second seed
Kobayashi who started the better - opening up a two-game lead.
"I was a little bit tired from yesterday's match, and had a bit of a
slow start," explained world No.27 Chan (pictured above, right, with
Kobayashi) later.
The Hong Kong left-hander turned things around after changing her game
plan in the last three games and after 50 minutes closed out the match
5-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5.
"I came back in the third after telling myself everything had to be
simple, and my confidence came back," added Chan, who now boasts six
WSA World Tour titles from 11 final appearances.
"I tried to play more aggressively and decided to take more on volley, and it worked."
Chan returns immediately to Hong Kong where she will defend the
National Championship title which she won for the third time last year.
RESULTS: Women's Fitzherbert Rowe Manawatu Lawyers NZ International Classic, Palmerston North, New Zealand
