Top Seeds Justify Their Billings In Perth

Top seeds Mike Corren and Lisa Camilleri justified their top billings when they clinched the two professional squash tournament titles in Perth, Australia.

South Australia's Corren recorded his 25th title on the men's PSA World Tour when he beat compatriot Rex Hedrick, from Melbourne, 6-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-7 to win the City of Perth International at the Terrace Squash Centre.

Corren's career Tour title tally takes him within one win of fellow Australian David Palmer and Egypt's illustrious Amr Shabana, the former world number ones who both boast 26 titles - more than any other current players on the Tour.

The colourful 36-year-old won his first title in Hong Kong in 1996 and has hardly stopped winning since then, despite a career that has been marred by a number of chronic injuries.

Corren gets a chance for his 26th title when the Australian Squash Tour heads to Kalgoorlie for next week's Golden Open men's tournament, where he is the defending champion.

Corren went into the tournament with a back injury but still had too much class for the rest of the field.

"I'm still struggling a bit, but each week I am getting better and better," he said.

Corren has been training twice a day in Adelaide with South Australian Academy of Squash coach Geoff Davenport and he credited Davenport with getting him to the form he is currently in.

"I might be 36 but I'm still working on my game all the time," he said. "I'm training twice a day - I'm not just sitting back and resting on my laurels. You are only as fit as the work you put in."

Lisa Camilleri, from Tully in Far North Queensland, claimed her eighth trophy on the women's tour and her second in succession after beating Victoria's Melody Francis 11-2, 9-11, 13-11, 11-5 to win the Black Knight Open, the $4,000 event on the WISPA World Tour.

The 27-year-old showed she is well and truly back to her best with her win over the up and coming Francis, who is vying with the Queenslander for a Commonwealth Games spot.

Camilleri won the Top End Open in Darwin two weeks ago in commanding fashion but she was made to work hard for her victory in Perth by the 21-year-old Francis

"Everything feels right at the moment," Camilleri said. "Training's going well and I'm really happy with how I'm hitting the ball."

The Queenslander next plays the South Australian Open in two weeks time where she is also the top seed.