Weekend Round-Up: Courtice and Cornett both win titles on home soil

Both Julianne Courtice and Samantha Cornett triumphed as home favourites this week, with both going on to win as the No.1 seeds in their respective tournaments.

Courtice was taking part in the Courtcare Northern Open, held in Manchester. She won the title with relative ease, despite having to beat three seeded players on the way.

The Englishwoman overcame compatriot Rachael Chadwick in the final on Sunday, taking just over half an hour to complete the job and take home the biggest title of her career.

She dispatched Mexico’s Diana Garcia in the quarter finals, before beating Anna Kimberley of England in the semi finals.

There was also a men’s tournament in Sydney over the weekend, with the finalists having to play four matches over two days.

It was another triumph for the No.1 seed, making it three from three on the Challenger Tour over the week.

To reach the final, she had to get past the unseeded Ooi Kah Yan, before tricky matches against Scotland’s Alison Thomson and young Egyptian Hana Ramadan.

Over in Canada, Samantha Cornett produced some great squash to take home the Slaight Music Granite Open on her own turf.

She went through the whole tournament in Toronto without losing a game, getting past England’s Jasmine Hutton in the final in three.

Cornett was the No.1 seed, and showed her class throughout, knocking out Ukraine’s Nadiia Usenko in the second round, before beating two more seeded players en route to the final.

Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie took the Pure Blonde Elanora Open title in Australia, beating Evan Williams of New Zealand in the final.

Result – Final: Courtcare Northern Open
[1] Julianne Courtice (ENG) bt [5] Rachael Chadwick (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (33m)

Result – Final: Slaight Music Granite Open
[1] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [7] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (27m)

Result – Final: Pure Blonde Elanora Open
[1] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt [2] Evan Williams (NZL) 3-1: 6-11, 11-1, 11-9, 11-7 (43m)