O'Connor signs off with emotional Southland Open squash win

An emotional Anna O’Connor successfully defended her Fi Innovations Southland Open squash crown at the weekend.

O’Connor leaves for the United States in August for a four-year scholarship at Philadelphia’s Dickinson College.

Playing her last major home tournament for the conceivable future was a big moment for the 19-year-old and she signed off in style, beating Queenstown’s Alana Changfoot over four sets in the final.

O’Connor didn’t have things all her own way – she beat the eighth seed comfortably in the first round but dropped the opening set to the fifth seed on the way to victory in the semi-final.

Photo: Fi Innovations Southland Open winner Anna O’Connor. Pic: Squash Southland

Changfoot, who beat the second and third seeds to quality for the final, started strongly, winning the opener 11-5. O’Connor came back to win the next three sets, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7.

The men’s open final provided a minor upset with defending champion and top seed Mitchell Kempton beaten in three sets by second-seed Jayden Millard, of Christchurch.

Millard had won a five-set thriller against the tournament’s third seed in the semi-final to earn a place in the decider where he beat the local favourite 11-4, 11-4, 11-8.

Photo: Fi Innovations Southland Open winner Jayden Millard. Pic: Squash Southland

The Fi Innovations Southland Open featured a record field of 120 players, with 178 matches (two defaults due to injury) played across the main venue at Squash City and ILT Stadium Southland.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, including from Squash NZ chief executive Martin Dowson, who took part in the tournament.

Livestream coverage of the tournament by Kerry Stirling attracted more than 6000 views.

Fifty-seven matches went to four sets, with 31 going to five sets. One set (to 15) finished 25-23 and the highest score in a fifth set was 20-18.