Vanessa Atkinson
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 during 2009 Women's World Open | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Vanessa Louise Atkinson | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tour final(s) | 42 | |||||||||||||||||||
| World Open | W (2004) | |||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Last updated on: 3 December 2019. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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 |
References
- http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/squash/24749250.app
- "Atkinson crowned World Champion". Squashsite.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
External links
- Vanessa Atkinson at WISPA (archived)
- Vanessa Atkinson at Squash Info
- 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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