WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Women's Vassar College Class of 1932 Squash Open, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

Final:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [5] Madeline Perry (IRL) 7-9, 5-9, 9-3, 9-2, 9-1

Gutsy Grainger Fights Back For Vassar Title

In her first WISPA World Tour appearance of the year, top seed Natalie Grainger fought back from two games down in the final of the Women's Vassar College Class of 1932 Open in Poughkeepsie, New York, to claim her third successive trophy on home soil.

Her opponent Madeline Perry, the fifth seed from Ireland who had pulled off two upsets to reach the final, quickly got into her stride and put world No6 Grainger on the back foot.  Good deep shots were standard for Perry in the opener. Meanwhile, Grainger struggled with her depth. To her credit, Grainger saved four game balls before being downed 9-7 in the first.

The US No1 was generous with her unforced errors in the second game and Perry, the world No14 from Northern Ireland, moved into a 2/0 lead.

Both players came out for the third with guns blazing.  Grainger found her length, and now her drop shot to the front left corner was causing Perry problems.  The Irish No1, however, was severely hampered by tendonitis in her right knee, and was not moving well.  This coupled with the improved shot-making of Grainger was to prove crucial.

Grainger took the third and when her opponent fell 0-5 behind in the fourth, it seemed that Perry was saving herself for the inevitable fifth game.

In the decider, Perry was clearly pumped and energized.  But Grainger now was on a roll.  Perry was unable to reach a couple of drop shots, and once she was 4-1 down, the climb was just too steep.  Grainger took the fifth and with it the title in a 7-9 5-9 9-3 9-2 9-1 scoreline.