Devoy just misses

Press, 4 July 1983, Page 36

Devoy just misses

NZPA Sydney New Zealand’s young squash star, Susan Devoy, had the N.S.W. women’s open title within her grasp before going down 9-5, 9-2, 6-9,1-9, 6-9, to Carin Clonda, of Sydney. Clonda, aged 22, staged a tenacious fightback after dropping the first two games in a match that lasted one hour and twenty minutes. Clonda, an asthmatic, is ranked third in Australia and tenth in the world. Devoy was the surprise of the tournament, having eliminated the reigning world champion and defending titleholder, Rhonda Thorne, of Queensland in a five-game semi-final on Friday night. The New Zealand girl, who is just out of junior ranks, looked to have yesterday’s final in her keeping when she swept through the first two games. But Clonda fought back grimly and then Devoy appeared to suffer a momentary lapse in concentration when she suffered a gashed knuckle on her racket hand during the final game.

Devoy was playing in her first overseas final and appears to be continuing the remarkable improvement that took her into the quar-ter-finals of this year’s British Open.