Team USA’s Olivia Fiechter defeated England’s world No. 10 Georgina Kennedy to lift the biggest title of her career at the $82,500 Detroit Athletic Club Pro Classic Sunday, February 12, in Michigan.
Fiechter entered the PSA Silver draw as the four seed, and progressed to the final with a four-game semifinal win over U.S. teammate Olivia Blatchford Clyne. The DAC Pro Classic final was a rematch of January’s Carol Weymuller final between Fiechter and Kennedy, which the English international won in three games.
Kennedy won all three of her previous matches against Fiechter, but on Sunday it was the American who came out on top 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9 in forty-four minutes.
“I think it’s going to take a while for that to sink in!” Fiechter said afterwards. “It was such a tough battle, like every point you play against Gina. That’s the first win I have over her and the whole day and throughout the match I was just focusing on playing my game and believing in myself.”
Fiechter celebrates her fourth PSA title, and tops her previous career high title at the $30,000 Canadian Open in 2022.
“I had some gritty wins this week that helped me with my self-belief and told myself that I had to do it,” Fiechter said. “The fact that I’m here now, as the champion, is crazy.”
The result sends Fiechter back to her career high world ranking of No. 9 this week, February 13.