Vanessa Atkinson
Full name | Vanessa Louise Atkinson |
---|---|
Country | Netherlands |
Residence | Leeds, England |
Born | |
Turned Pro | 1995 |
Retired | 2011 |
Plays | Right Handed |
Coached by | Liz Irving |
Racquet used | Karakal |
Women's singles | |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (December, 2005) |
World Open | W (2004) |
Updated on 7 January 2010. |
Vanessa Louise Atkinson (born 10 March 1976 in Newcastle, England) is a former professional squash player from the Netherlands, who won the World Open in 2004 and reached the World No. 1 ranking in December 2005.
Atkinson was born in England, but her family moved to the Netherlands when she was still a child. She began playing squash as a youngster in Dordrecht. She now resides in Harrogate, Yorkshire, with her partner James Willstrop, himself a professional squash player.[1]
Atkinson's biggest win came in 2004 when she won the World Open title in Kuala Lumpur by defeating fellow compatriote Natalie Grinham (at that time still representing Australia) with a score of 9–1, 9–1, 9–5 in the final.[2] Atkinson also has won major tournaments in Qatar, New York, Monte Carlo, Malaysia and Ireland.
Atkinson retired from professional play in May 2011.
Finals: 1 (1 title, 0 runner-up)
Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
Winner | 2004 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Natalie Grinham | 9–1, 9–1, 9–5 |
Major World Series final appearances
Qatar Classic: 2 finals (2 titles, 0 runner-up)
Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
Winner | 2004 | Rachael Grinham | 9-4, 9-7, 9-6 |
Winner | 2005 | Vicky Botwright | 9-7, 9-4, 9-2 |
Malaysian Open: 2 finals (0 title, 2 runner-up)
Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
Winner | 2004 | Nicol David | |
Runner-up | 2005 | Nicol David | 3-9, 9-3, 1-9, 9-1, 9-4 |
See also
References
- ^ http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/squash/24749250.app
- ^ "Atkinson crowned World Champion". Squashsite.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
External links
- Vanessa Atkinson at WISPA (archived)
- Vanessa Atkinson at Squash Info
- Interview at Squashtalk.com - June 1999
- [1]