Sandgate Open: Hunt Takes First Title Since 2017

In her first tournament on the PSA World Tour in nearly 30 months, Tamika Hunt was victorious at the Sandgate Open in Queensland, Australia, as she beat four seeded players to take the title.

Hunt, who last had an official place on the World Rankings in December 2019, where she sat at World No.329, was playing for the first time since September 2018, with her last event being the Roberts & Morrow North Coast Open, also on home soil.


This week’s event in Deagon, Queensland, was restricted to domestic entrants only due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, the top five seeds all received a bye through to the second round of the tournament.

Hunt, on the other hand, had to face the No.6 seed, Alex Haydon, on the opening day of the tournament at the Sandgate Squash Centre. She came through with relative ease, recovering from going a game down early to win 3-1.

From there on in, she took out the top three seeds in the tournament, starting with former World No.1 Rachael Grinham. Hunt, who has been as high as World No.48, had to fight from behind once more, this time coming back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 and book her place in the last four.

The unseeded 27-year-old also needed five games to win her semi-final match, as she held off a comeback from No.3 seed Jessica Turnbull to win 3-2. The final was much smoother for the Australian, as she downed compatriot, and No.2 seed, Sarah Cardwell, in just over half an hour to win the title.

Following a hiatus of 871 days, Hunt has gone on to take the 10th title of her career, and her first since 2017. Not only that, it is also the biggest win of her career, and it is also the second time she has won the Sandgate Open, having also done so five years earlier.

Results: Sandgate Open
Final
Tamika Hunt (AUS) bt [2] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (33m)

Semi-Finals
Tamika Hunt (AUS) bt [3] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 3-2: 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 5-11, 11-6 (49m)
[2] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt [4] Colette Sultana (MLT) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-3 (23m)

Quarter-Finals
Tamika Hunt (AUS) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-2: 5-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 (41m)
[3] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [7] Jessica Osborne (AUS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-1, 12-10 (22m)
[4] Colette Sultana (MLT) bt [8] Madison Lyon (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 (21m)
[2] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt [5] Selena Sheikh (AUS) 3-1: 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3 (33m)

Round One
(Top 5 seeds received byes)
Tamika Hunt (AUS) bt [6] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-1: 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-4
[7] Jessica Osborne (AUS) bt Heather Pilley (AUS) 3-2: 8-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6
[8] Madison Lyon (AUS) bt Sophie Fadaely (AUS) 3-2: 10-12, 7-11, 11-1, 11-9, 11-6 (32m)