World No. 4 Olivia Weaver has etched her name into the history books, becoming the first American woman ever to reach the final of the prestigious SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals. In a dominant semi-final performance at Toronto’s Revival Film Studios, Weaver comprehensively defeated England’s Georgina Kennedy 11-3, 11-2 in just 18 minutes.
Weaver’s historic achievement marks a significant milestone for American squash. She is only the second player from the United States to ever reach the semi-finals of this elite event, following in the footsteps of compatriot Amanda Sobhy, but has now gone one crucial step further.
From the outset of her semi-final clash, the 29-year-old from Philadelphia asserted her authority. Adopting an aggressive approach, Weaver commanded the ‘T’ position and consistently fired in precise short shots, leaving Kennedy struggling to respond. After securing a comfortable first game, Weaver maintained her relentless pressure, swiftly closing out the second game to book her place in the highly anticipated title decider.
Reflecting on her stellar performance, a pleased Weaver commented, “I was definitely a lot happier with my performance today compared to the last few days.” She credited her coach, Rod Martin, for his crucial input. “It was great to have Rod [Martin] come in last night, he came on court and worked on a few things. I felt more confident about my swing today. You’re on the road for a period of time and if you stop working on things a lot of factors come into it.”
Weaver, who has been working closely with Australian squash legend and renowned coach Rodney Martin, emphasized the importance of staying focused and continually refining her game. “I got back in my zone today and I knew I had to play really well to beat Gina, she’s been playing well this week and she’s always tough to play.”
Weaver will now prepare to face either World No. 1 Nouran Gohar of Egypt or Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in tomorrow’s final, with the squash world eagerly anticipating a thrilling conclusion to the SmartCentres PSA Squash Tour Finals.
