Six Year Drought Ends With WISPA Title For Bailey

Years of illness and injury woes which have beset England's Tania Bailey since reaching a career-high world No4 in March 2003 were finally laid to rest in the USA on Thursday when the 26-year-old from Lincolnshire won her first WISPA World Tour title in six years at the Women's Vassar College Class of 1932 Open in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Since turning professional after winning a host of British junior titles, two European crowns and the World Junior trophy in 1997, Bailey looked set for a bright future on the WISPA Tour. But a series of mystery viruses, coupled with a car accident which injured her knee, provided setbacks which the Stamford star seemed unable to overcome.

Finally able to fully extend herself in training for the first time in years, Bailey made a breakthrough at the beginning of 2006 by winning the British National title for the first time - then last month won a doubles bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

After reaching the final of the Vassar College Class of 1932 Open without dropping a game, Bailey defeated New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen - a singles bronze medallist in Melbourne - 9-3, 9-2, 9-6.

Right from the outset, the second seed from England indicated her intent - keeping the ball tight to the wall and using 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.

In game three, Bailey jumped ahead three-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 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 and clawed her way back to 6-6. Then with the wind gone from the New Zealander's sails, Bailey finished strongly to win in straight games.

"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, who 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 triumph marks Bailey's fourth Tour title - but her first win since the San Francisco International Challenge in May 2000, when she beat the current world No1 Vanessa Atkinson in the final.

Final:
[2] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [5] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-3, 9-2, 9-6