Vanessa Atkinson
Dutch squash player
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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.
NetherlandsAtkinson during 2009 Women's World Open | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Vanessa Louise Atkinson | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 March 1976 Newcastle, England | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right Handed | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Liz Irving | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Racquet used | Karakal | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (December, 2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Title | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 3 December 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 and a former World No. 1.[1][2]
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.[3] 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 |  Natalie Grinham | 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 | Rachael Grinham | 9-4, 9-7, 9-6 |
| Winner | 2005 |  Vicky Botwright | 9-7, 9-4, 9-2 |
Malaysian Open: 2 finals (1 title, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2004 |  Nicol David | 9-2, 9-4, 9-0 |
| Runner-up | 2005 | Nicol David | 3-9, 9-3, 1-9, 9-1, 9-4 |