Bailey Bursts Into Seattle Semis
England's Tania Bailey reached her second successive WISPA World Tour semi-final against the odds when she defeated New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen in straight games in the quarter-finals of the Women's PMI Seattle Open Squash Championship at the Pro Sports Club in Seattle.
Hampered by a serious of injury setbacks over the past two years, the 25-year-old from Lincolnshire - who reached the 2002 British Open final - appears to be back to the form that took her to No4 in the world rankings in March 2003. Bailey controlled the match throughout and beat the new New Zealand champion 9-1 9-6 9-4.
Bailey now faces top seed Rachael Grinham, the world No1 from Australia who defeated US star Natalie Grainger. The fifth seed raced to a 6-0 lead in the first game, but Grinham adjusted her play to level the game at 7-7 before Grainger took the next two points to gain the opening advantage.
Grainger again led 4-0 in the second game, but the momentum then switched to the Australian who went on to win 7-9 9-6 9-3 9-3.
Second seed Vanessa Atkinson was taken the full distance by England's unseeded Jenny Duncalf – and after four games of contrasting fortunes, faced match ball at 2-8 in the fifth.
But this turned out to be the turning point for the 29-year-old from The Hague, who saved this and four further match balls! Errors from Duncalf took Atkinson to eight-all, and after claiming the next two points, Atkinson claimed an unlikely 9-0 3-9 0-9 9-5 10-8 victory.
The Dutch world champion will now meet third seed Nicol David, who survived an impressive performance from English qualifier Alison Waters to win 9-4 10-8 7-9 9-5.
RESULTS: Women's PMI Seattle Open Squash Championship, Bellevue, Seattle, USA
Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [5] Natalie Grainger (USA) 7-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-3
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-1, 9-6, 9-4
[3] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Alison Waters (ENG) 9-4, 10-8, 7-9, 9-5
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-0, 3-9, 0-9, 9-5, 10-8