WORLD SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: Women's Hurghada International Squash Championship, Hurghada, Egypt
Quarter-finals:
[1] Carol Owens (NZL) bt [8] Rebecca Macree (ENG) 9-1, 9-4, 9-2 (43m)
[6] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [3] Tania Bailey (ENG) w/o
[4] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [7] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-5, 3-9, 9-0, 9-5 (59m)
[5] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [2] Linda Charman (ENG) 9-3, 9-5, 9-3 (31m)
Rachael Reaps Revenge In Red Sea Resort
Australia's world No3 Rachael Grinham avenged the first ever defeat by her younger
sister Natalie three months ago with a four-game victory in 59 minutes in the
quarter-finals of the Women's Hurghada International Squash Championship in the
Egyptian Red sea resort.
The Toowoomba twosome are both enjoying good runs of form recently - Rachael
arriving in Hurghada fresh from final appearances in both the World Grand Prix
Finals in Qatar and the Heliopolis Open in Cairo, her adopted home base.
Fourth seed Rachael took the opening game but her younger sibling regained the
advantage in the second and despite serving out at game ball - a product of the
breeze around the open-air court on a small island just off the Hurghada coast
line - regained the initiate to draw level.
Grinham senior began to induce more errors and frustration in Natalie's game and
duly wrapped up the third in ten minutes. Although the fourth became more of a
close tussle, Rachael re-established family order and ultimately claimed the
match 9-5 3-9 9-0 9-5.
The winner was keen to praise her sister: "Hey, I'm just pleased to be in the
semis," Rachael gushed after the match. "Forget the sister thing, I'm happy to
have beaten Natalie as she is playing well at the moment."
Rachael will meet Dutch No1 Vanessa Atkinson in the semi-finals after the fifth
eed upset England's second-seeded Linda Charman 9-3 9-5 9-3 in 31 minutes. As
the match unfolded, it became clear that the world number five's new-found
confidence was carrying through into this event. World No4 Charman, however,
was just a little off the pace - reacting rather than dictating.
"I need to go home, have a break then get into summer training," conceded Charman
later. "Unfortunately, I ran into Vanessa who is playing very well and I didn't
have the answers."
Atkinson acknowledged an increasing self belief: "I hadn't beaten Linda before
Dallas, and the Irish Open final with Cassie was a turning point too. Now, like
tonight, I can try to be steady, stay on top and ride the bad patches when I
need to."
Meanwhile, England's Cassie Jackman reached the semis without needing to contest
her match against compatriot Tania Bailey. Sadly, Bailey had found that her post
viral fatigue had not fully cleared her system as she hoped. During the previous
evening's match against Carla Khan, when she registered her first win for four
months, she visibly wilted. "I know that I will only put myself back if I don't
take time to get my system clear of this," said the dejected world No6 on her
withdrawal from the event.
Jackman will face top seed Carol Owens in the other semi-final in the pair's third
meeting in two weeks - after a titanic tussle in the Grand Prix Finals in Qatar
and a slightly easier second victory for Owens at Heliopolis. Owens, the top seed
from New Zealand, beat England's 8th seed Rebecca Macree 9-1 9-4 9-2 in 43 minutes.
Owens was happier with her performance than against Macree's compatriot Stephanie
Brind the previous evening: "I was much more up for it tonight," she said.