Vanessa Atkinson
 Vanessa Atkinson during 2009 Women's World Open | |
| Full name | Vanessa Louise Atkinson |
|---|---|
| Country |
 |
| Residence | Leeds, England |
| Born |
10 March 1976 Newcastle, England |
| 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) |
| Last 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.
World Open
Finals: 1 (1 title, 0 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 2004 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |  | 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 | | 9-4, 9-7, 9-6 |
| Winner | 2005 |  | 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 |  | 9-2, 9-4, 9-0 |
| Runner-up | 2005 | | 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 2009-05-14.
External links
- Vanessa Atkinson profile from WISPA (archived)
- Vanessa Atkinson profile from SquashInfo
- Interview at Squashtalk.com - June 1999
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rachael Grinham Nicol David |
World No. 1 December 2005 April 2006 – July 2006 |
Succeeded by Nicol David Nicol David |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by — |
WISPA Player of the Year 2004 |
Succeeded by Nicol David |
| |
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