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Team USA’s Olivia Blatchford is through to the quarterfinals of the $50, 000 Carol Weymuller Open for the first time in her career after a first-round upset against England’s world No. 17 Jenny Duncalf Thursday night at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn.
After progressing through two rounds of qualifying that included a five-game comeback Wednesday night against Yale graduate Millie Tomlinson, Blatchford pulled off a three-game upset against the English former world No. 2 11-5, 11-6, 11-6.
“My dad always used to say ‘act the way you want to feel’…so I did, ” Blatchford said. “I thought that if I go out there and execute the game plan which was to go deep ad attack short when I could, win or lose I would have to be proud.”
The twenty-three-year-old from Darien, Connecticut, grew up playing squash at the Brooklyn club, and now for the first time in seven attempts has progressed to the quarterfinals where she will face top seed and world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini.
“I watched Jenny at this tournament years ago beating Natalie Grainger and I was in awe with the way she struck the ball, ” Blatchford continued. “It was a pleasure to play her on the court that I first saw her play….Yay to the rest day tomorrow!”
The second half of the first round will play out Friday night starting at 5:30pm ET. Live stream all matches on UStream.
The Carol Weymuller Open is one of the longest-established events on the professional tour and returns to Brooklyn for the forty-third year this week.
Follow @CarolWeymuller on Twitter for live updates.