The quietly determined Tania Bailey, currently sitting at #10 in the world and the second seed in this event, showed that she is finally fully back in the hunt with the WISPA elite, as she collected her first WISPA tour title in six years with a quality win in Poughkeepsie New York this evening.

Bailey scored a very convincing victory over Shelley Kitchen, who has currently dipped to #15 in the world but played better than that this week and last week in Texas.

This final provided a thrilling end to a wonderful week of professional squash.

For the past six days the top players in the world have been battling each other on the quiet Hudson River campus of Vassar College.

The event has produced some outstanding matches. In the semifinals Laura Lengthorn and Shelley Kitchen thrilled the crowd with hard fought games. Laura Briggs came through the qualifying rounds and knocked off the top seed, and defending champion, Natalie Grainger. Omneya Addel Kawy delighted spectators with her frontcourt strokes and every competitor was a credit the WISPA Tour.

Shelley Kitchen put up a good fight in the Vassar final. (photo © 2006 Carlisle Stockton)

The final was fast and furious. The World number 10, England's Tania Bailey, who chases everything down, was up against number 15 ranked Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand. Both are superb athletes, lean, trim, cut, fit, and they both oozed confidence as they warmed up. They are both hard hitters as well and the final lived up to expectations.

Right from the outset Bailey indicated her intent. She kept the ball tight to the wall and used her backhand slice to good effect. There were long rallies with both women striking the ball cleanly and crisply. Bailey barely put a foot wrong in the opening two games. Her good length and consistency was sprinkled with a few winners. Those winners and a few unforced errors from Kitchen allowed the British Champion to take the first game 9-3 and the second 9-2.

In game three, Bailey jumped ahead 3-love, and by her own admission was perhaps guilty of thinking ahead and assuming victory. But Kitchen is a fighter and she showed that she too could produce some winners. She not only got back to level terms, but then went ahead 6-3. The crowd of around 200 sensed that she could take the third game and generate some momentum going into the fourth. But Bailey was on a mission and refocused her efforts. She continued to return everything that Kitchen put in play and produced some winners. She clawed her way back to 6-6. Then with the wind gone from the New Zealander's sails Bailey finished strongly winning 9-6. The final rally was outstanding and seemed to go on forever. It was a grand finale.

"I'm just over the moon to have finally won a WISPA Tournament, it's been six years since I've won one!" said a smiling Bailey. She paid tribute to her opponent by saying that it had been a really hard taxing match, and she was just very pleased with the quality of the performance.

The Vassar College President, Frances Fergusson, presented the athletes with their awards and Jane Parker, the Head Coach of Vassar College Squash, thanked the players for an excellent final.

Vassar Class of '32 WISPA Open Results:
Final
[2] Tania Bailey (ENG) def [5] Shelley Kitchen (NZ) 9-3 9-2 9-6

Thursday         04/13/06        6.00 pm Final

Jane Parker, Shelley Kitchen, Tania Bailey, and Vassar College president, Frances Fergusson. (photo © 2006 Carlisle Stockton)