Weaver Targets Platinum Final Debut in Hong Kong Open Semifinals

Team USA’s Olivia Weaver is through to her second PSA Platinum semifinal of the season–and second consecutive Milwaukee Hong Kong Open semifinal–after a resounding 3-0 win over world No. 8 Tinne Gilis Friday, December 5.

The American world No. 5 has been in strong form this week in Hong Kong, advancing to the semifinals without dropping a game all tournament. Weaver defeated former world No. 4 Nele Gilis in the round of sixteen Wednesday, before dispatching her younger sister, Tinne, for the ninth time in her career.

Last year, Weaver reached the Hong Kong Open semifinals, but her momentum was cut short against then world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini as she succumbed to injury. This year the thirty-year-old returns to Hong Kong motivated to reach what would be her first Platinum final appearance.

“I always love playing at this tournament and I was really enjoying my time last year but I finished with the injury, but I came here and I wanted another shot at a semifinal and take it even further and bring home the title,” she said. “I’m really pleased with that performance, Tinne [Gilis] is playing really well and she made it really tough out there. I was trying to hang in there in the second, she was on fire and I tried to weather the storm and I’m proud of how I held my composure and found my game back and finished strong.”

Weaver will face in-form world No. 7 Satomi Watanabe, who will be making her Platinum semifinal debut after upsetting world No. 3 Amina Orfi in the quarterfinals.

“Satomi [Watanabe] had a phenomenal win earlier and she’s really dangerous when she’s playing well so I need to bring my A game,” Weaver said.

Weaver and Watanabe faced each other most recently in June’s World Tour Finals in a best-of-three-games pool match, which Weaver won 2-1. Watch their Hong Kong semifinal at 8:30pm local time, 5:30am ET, on SquashTV.