Kemp & Kitchen Capture Auckland Open Crowns
21 Aug 2006
England's Jonathan Kemp and local star Shelley Kitchen, both the top seeds, claimed the titles in the Five Star Finance Auckland Open after victories in the finals at the North Shore Squash Club in Takapuna, New Zealand.
Kemp, the world number 25, made light work of the men's PSA Tour final against third-seeded Australian Mike Corren, racing to an 11-4 11-9 11-2 victory in just 24 minutes.
The 25-year-old from Telford in Shropshire swept through the event without dropping a game - and only once spent more than half an hour on court, when tackling New Zealand's national champion Kashif Shuja in the quarter-finals.
The triumph marks Kemp's fourth PSA Tour title - and second in the past three months after winning the Greek Open in June.
Kitchen, the world No13 from Auckland, won the women's WISPA World Tour final in straight games, despite stern resistance from second seeded fellow kiwi Jaclyn Hawkes, edging home 10-8 9-6 9-3 in 55 minutes.
It was Kitchen's sixth WISPA Tour title - and the latest success this year for the 26-year-old who won the Women's WSF World Doubles Championship title in January, with compatriot Tamsyn Leevey, and the bronze medal in the women's singles in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March.
Men's final:
[1] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt [3] Mike Corren (AUS) 11-4, 11-9, 11-2 (24m)
Women's final:
[1] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [2] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 10-8, 9-6, 9-3 (55m)