Hannah Hicks has become the first unseeded winner of the Women’s Elite event at the Angby International tournament in Stockholm, Sweden.

Her victory is all the more impressive given that over the last 15 years the previous winners of the tournament have included 11 Chinese players and three national team players from the host nation Sweden.

Hicks, from Bournemouth Sports TTC, broke the mould and became the first unseeded player to win the prestigious event. Not only did she win, but she won in style by only dropping three games throughout the entire tournament.

In the last 16 she beat Caroline Wersall, (last world ranking was 309) the many times Swedish national team player, 3-1. She then beat Carolyn Cordero (413) from Puerto Rico by the same scoreline.

In the semi-finals she dominated Marie Persson (365), the current Swedish national team player, and cruised into the final after a 3-0 win.

The final saw Hicks (503) come up against the Columbian number 1, Paula Medina (261), who she beat in four games. She recovered from 6-3 down in the fourth game to win on deuce and seal her tournament triumph. Interestingly, on the table across from the Women’s final was the Men’s final, which involved former World Champion and Olympic Gold medal winner Jan-Ove Waldner (who actually lost in five games).

From the last 16 onwards all of Hick’s opponents were seeded players but she came through, showing not only her usual fighting spirit but also supreme confidence and focus in tight games.

In fact, ten of Hick’s close games were at 9-9 or deuce, but she won them all and never gave her opponent a chance. All in all it was a brilliant performance.