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Nishio and Chinappa Fall Just Short in Upset Bids

Chinappa pressed Blake in Goshen Indiana. (photo:©2006 Amber Perry)

Alana Miller in the semis. (photo:©2006 Amber Perry)

Mami Nishio likes to run, so Alana Miller's plan was to shoot the lights out, and she succeeded for the first two and a half games. Then Nishio started picking up more of Miller's shots, and hitting more of her own, while Miller tightened up. Although Miller led 7-3 in the third and had match ball at 8-6, she was unable to close, and within a few minutes she found herself down 1-6 in the fourth. She then got her head back in the game, and from 3-7 down, won six straight rallies to serve another match ball at 8-7in the fourth. Unable to close again, she had to save a game ball at 8-9 before clinching it 9-7, 9-2, 8-10, 10-9 in 59 minutes.

Joshna Chinappa played more conventionally than in her quarter final, but she still used relentless, unreachable boasts to great effect as she won the first two games easily against Aisling Blake. Both player were quite contentious with each other and the referee, but the third game saw the gritty Irish woman focus on her straight shots instead of banter, and she started to turn the match around. Blake used a lot of physical effort to make the pickups necessary to stay in the rallies with Chinappa, but it paid off and Chinappa's short game started to miss. Blake came back from two games down to take it 4-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-2, 9-2 in 65 minutes.

Subway Goshen Open
Semi-finals:
[1] Alana Miller (CAN) bt [5] Mami Nishio (JPN) bt [4] Katie Patrick (CAN)   9-7 9-2 8-10 10-9 (59m)
[2] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [3] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 4-9 2-9 9-7 9-2 9-2 (65m)

Joshna Chinappa is too strong forTara Mullins. (photo:©2006 Amber Perry)