Richmond Open: Moataz Downs Watanabe For Biggest Title

Egypt’s Hana Moataz claimed the spoils at the Challenger 20 level Richmond Open on Saturday evening, defeating Japan’s Satomi Watanabe to win the title at the Country Club of Virginia, the biggest victory of her career.

The young Egyptian came into the tournament as the No.3 seed, behind only compatriot Zeina Mickawy and Latvia’s Ineta Mackevica. After receiving a bye through the first round due to her seeding, she then defeated compatriot Malak Kamal in four games to get her campaign underway.

Moataz then got the better of England’s Grace Gear in the last eight of the competition, before taking down the tournament’s top seed Mickawy in four games in the semi-finals, to advance to the biggest final of her fledgling career.

The World No.64 came up against the unseeded Satomi Watanabe in the final in Virginia, after the Japanese No.1 had taken down two seeded players to get to that stage of the competition. The pair went all the way to a deciding game, after Watanabe had twice come from behind to level the contest. It would eventually be Moataz who took the victory, winning the fifth 11-8, to claim the biggest title of her career to date.

Results: Richmond Open
Final
[3] Hana Moataz (EGY) bt Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 3-2: 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 (68m)

Semi-Finals
[3] Hana Moataz (EGY) bt [1] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) 3-1: 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Katie Malliff (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (31m)

Quarter Finals
[1] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt [8] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 3-0: 11-5, 1-9, 11-2 (36m)
[3] Hana Moataz (EGY) bt [6] Grace Gear (ENG) 3-1: 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (39m)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [5] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) 3-1: 12-10, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6 (43m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [7] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-0; 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 (34m)

Round Two
[1] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Wen Li Lai (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (25m)
[8] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 111-7, 11-9 (31m)
[6] Grace Gear (ENG) bt Rana Ismail (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6 (38m)
[3] Hana Moataz (EGY) bt Malak Kamal (EGY) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 (36m)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [4] Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-2: 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-3 (42m)
[5] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) bt Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) 3-2: 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (47m)
[7] Alex Haydon (AUS) bt Amna Fayyaz (PAK) 3-2: 11-13, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 12-10 (50m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [2] Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-1: 11-5, 7-11, 12-10, 12-10 (37m)

Round One
Rana Ismail (EGY) bt Vanessa Raj (MAS) 3-2: 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 (55m)
Malak Kamal (EGY) bt Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 13-11 (35m)
Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt [WC] Caroline Fouts (USA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 (38m)
Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt [WC] Sachika Balvani (IND) 3-0: 11-5 rtd (10m)
Amna Fayyaz (PAK) bt Erisa Sano Herring (JPN) 3-2: 5-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-3, 12-10 (60m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt Maria Moya (ECU) 3-1: 11-2, 12-10, 6-11, 11-4 (41m)