Bailey & Kitchen In Vassar College Final

New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen recorded her second upset in a week over England's Laura-Jane Lengthorn to set up a meeting with another English opponent Tania Bailey in the final of the Women's Vassar College Class of 1932 Open in Poughkeepsie in the US state of New York.

Fifth seed Kitchen, who beat Lengthorn in last week's Texas Open in Houston, again needed four games to overcome the No4 seed 9-1, 9-3, 2-9, 9-3.

Kitchen, the Aucklander who won a surprise bronze medal in last month's Commonwealth Games after beating Malaysia's top seed Nicol David in the third-place play-off, now faces an opponent whom David beat to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne.

Bailey, the second seed, faced Egypt's No3 seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in the other semi-final - a match which pitted the English woman's power, athleticism and fitness, versus the Egyptian's shot placement.

In the end, it was the more consistent shot-making that won the day for Bailey, who cruised to a 9-1, 9-1, 9-3 victory to reach the final without dropping a game throughout the WISPA World Tour event.

Both Kitchen and Bailey are celebrating their tenth appearances in a WISPA Tour final! Whilst the 26-year-old Kiwi is marking her second of the year, after winning the Buler Challenge Cup in Hong Kong in February, Bailey is in her first since reaching the climax of the US Open in New York in November 2002.

The 26-year-old from Lincolnshire, who became the British National champion for the first time in February, is enjoying a long-awaited return to form after a series of injuries and illnesses over the past three years.

Semi-finals:
[5] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [4] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 9-1, 9-3, 2-9, 9-3
[2] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-1, 9-1, 9-3