Teenage prodigy Natasha Van Eldik has fine-tuned her preparations for tomorrow’s (31/7) $40,000 BCiB Queensland Open singles final by guiding her triples’ outfit to this year’s title.
Just hours after booking a berth in the championship decider against Tasmania’s Rebecca Quail, Van Eldik, 18, skipped Beenleigh’s Amanda Haevecker and Ferny Groves’ Kerrie Wilson to a straight sets victory over World Championship silver medallist Katrina Wright and teammates Lisa Mitchell and Corinne Crouche.
“It was brilliant to get over the line,” a relieved Van Eldik said following her straight sets triumph in the women’s triples’ final.
“I was quite nervous going in to today’s final, but as I settled down and the girls started to play well, it all felt good.
“Bec’s a great player and I’m sure tomorrow will be a very tight game.”
While Van Eldik will chase her second title in as many days, the dreams of Mitchell and Crouche were quashed by the NSW whiz kid after they had earlier accounted for Millmerrien’s Maree Gibbs and Caloundra RSL’s Jane Bush in the women’s pairs’ final.
During a see-sawing affair, Mitchell, the Australian Indoor runner-up, and Crouche, a three-time grand prix winner before today, dropped 12 of the 21 contested ends, but still managed to eek out a 10-9, 4-8, 4-1 victory.
In a major boil over, Nathalia’s Brad Holland registered a 10-1, 9-10, 3-2 triumph against the Australian stars.
The $40,000 BCiB Queensland Open will conclude at Bribie Island tomorrow with the women’s singles.
