This tournament has been one of the most memorable events in my entire squash career. My goal was to win the tournament, and after four tough matches, I managed to do it! While the result is my best to date, the sponsors, billets, and spectators in London made this tournament truly special.
My first match was against Miccala Seth (CAN). She is a tough opponent to play because she always gives 100% and can handle fast pace well. Going onto court, and even through the entire match, I was really nervous and was struggling to get into a rhythm. She took the first game. Fortunately, I found a new game plan that worked against her and I won the next three games to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals I had the opportunity to get revenge against Hollie Naughton (CAN) after our 5-game match at Nationals. Going into this match I felt better prepared then I did the day before and was focused on my game plan. Everything fell into play during the match and I was more confident on court than I had been in a while. I was ecstatic when I won 3-0.
Unlike most tournaments there was a rest day in the middle of the event. I had a light hit in the morning then participated in a hardball doubles Pro-Am tournament all afternoon. It was a lot of fun! By the end of the day I was really tired mentally and physically, so I went home and relaxed for the evening.
Since I was tired from the day before and my match was in the early afternoon, I decided to skip my regular morning hit relax instead. I spent the day watching movies and then mentally preparing for my semifinal against Sam Cornett (CAN). It was Sam’s first tournament back since she got injured over a year ago so I didn’t know what to expect from her. She has always been very mentally strong and fit so I knew I’d have to be ready for a battle. Similar to my match against Hollie, I felt very confident and comfortable on court. We had a high paced match, but I was able to remain calm, play my game, and win the match 3-1. To celebrate I went to a London Knights game with my billets where we got to see the Memorial Cup presentation!
Final day!
I started my day early with an 8am solo. After watching a couple of matches in the amateur draw, I went home to relax and mentally prepare for my match that evening. I had never played Misaki Kobayashi before but knew she would be consistent, fast, and tough! In the first game, I had a slow start. My drops, length and movement were not executed as well as the days prior and she was able to gain a lead in the first game. She was up 10-5, but i managed to put my head down and keep the ball in play to come back to 9-10. While I was close, she won the first game. In the next four games, we would battle into extra points. The fifth game was the ultimate battle, ending 18-16. The crowd was loud and full of energy and I was able to feel that on court. It helped me push harder and stay focused as the match went on. I was very relieved and happy at the end of the match when I pulled out the win, and couldn’t wait to celebrate!
Danielle Letourneau 