Blatchford Upsets Urquhart to Reach Cleveland Classic Main Draw

Blatchford (L) won gold and silver medals in the 2015 Pan American Games. (image: Paige Stewart)
Blatchford (L) won gold and silver medals in the 2015 Pan American Games. (image: Paige Stewart)

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Team USA’s Olivia Blatchford reached her first $50, 000 Cleveland Classic main draw in her fourth tournament appearance Friday night, upsetting Australia’s world No. 22 Donna Urquhart in a five-game qualifying final at Cleveland Racquet Club in Ohio.

The American world No. 37 cruised through her opening qualifier in less than twenty minutes Thursday night to set up just her second career match against the Australian former world No. 13, who was the two seed in qualifying and enjoyed a first-round bye.

Blatchford started the match with the momentum, winning the first two games 13-11, 11-8. The twenty-nine-year-old from Brisbane then clawed back to win the third and fourth games 11-5, 11-8. Blatchford recovered in the fifth, earning an early 3-0 lead, and extending her lead to 8-4. Urquhart rattle off three points to reach 8-7, but Blatchford responded again to win four straight points and the match 11-7.

Blatchford now faces England’s world No. 14 Jenny Duncalf in the main draw at 3:15pm local time.

Team USA’s four seed and world No. 8 Amanda Sobhy is in first-round action Saturday afternoon against England’s world No. 19 Victoria Lust.

All matches are streaming live here, and scoring live on U.S. Pro Series Live.

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