RESULTS: Commonwealth Games Squash, Melbourne, Australia
Men's Doubles - Last sixteen round:
[1] Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bye
[7] Rodney Durbach & Adrian Hansen (RSA) bt [11] Nicholas Kyme & James Stout (BER) 9-7, 9-3, 9-2 (28m)
[4] Nick Matthew & James Willstrop (ENG) bye
[5] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [10] Aamir Atlas Khan & Khayal Muhammad Khan (PAK) 9-7, 9-3, 9-6 (71m)
[6] David Evans & Alex Gough (WAL) bt [9] Shawn Delierre & Matthew Giuffre (CAN) 9-4, 8-10, 9-2, 9-6 (56m)
[3] Dan Jenson & David Palmer (AUS) bye
[8] Harry Leitch & John White (SCO) bt Hartaj Bains & Hardeep Reel (KEN) 9-3, 9-5, 9-3 (30m)
[2] Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol (ENG) bye
Quarter-finals:
[1] Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [7] Rodney Durbach & Adrian Hansen (RSA) 9-7, 6-9, 7-9, 9-7, 9-5 (98m)
[5] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [4] Nick Matthew & James Willstrop (ENG) 9-4, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 (123m)
[3] Dan Jenson & David Palmer (AUS) bt [6] David Evans & Alex Gough (WAL) 9-6, 9-2, 7-9, 9-7 (101m)
[2] Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol (ENG) bt [8] Harry Leitch & John White (SCO) 8-10, 9-2, 9-2, 3-9, 9-6 (87m)
Women's Doubles: 3rd qualifying round - Pool 1:
[1] Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [4] Louise Crome & Lara Petera (NZL) 9-4, 11-9, 7-9, 9-4 (61m)
Karen Anderson & Marlene West (JAM) bt Naluge Guy & Eli Webb (PNG) 9-5, 9-6, 10-8 (31m)
[1] Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Naluge Guy & Eli Webb (PNG) 9-5, 9-3, 9-2 (14m)
Pool 2
Frania Gillen-Buchert & Louise Philip (SCO) bt Nirasha Guruge & Tehani Guruge (SRI) 9-1, 9-11, 9-7, 9-3 (35m)
[3] Tania Bailey & Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [6] Kasey Brown & Amelia Pittock (AUS) 7-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-7 (54m)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt Frania Gillen-Buchert & Louise Philip (SCO) 9-6, 9-1, 9-4 (23m)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [3] Tania Bailey & Vicky Botwright (ENG) 6-9, 9-6, 9-6, 5-9, 9-5 (75m)
Mixed Doubles: Last sixteen round:
[1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bye
[7] Alison Waters & Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [11] Runa Reta & Matthew Giuffre (CAN) 9-2, 9-4, 9-6 (23m)
[3] Natalie Grinham & Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bye
[9] Tegwen Malik & Gavin Jones (WAL) bt [5] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 9-7, 5-9, 9-7, 10-8 (92m)
[6] Lara Petera & Callum O'Brien (NZL) bt [10] Madeline Perry & Steve Richardson (NIR) 10-8, 9-7, 9-7 (35m)
[4] Vicky Botwright & James Willstrop (ENG) bye
[8] Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath (RSA) bt [12] Tenille Swartz & Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 9-7, 10-8, 9-3 (36m)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bye
Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bt [7] Alison Waters & Adrian Grant (ENG) 9-1, 9-6, 11-9 (47m)
[3] Natalie Grinham & Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt [9] Tegwen Malik & Gavin Jones (WAL) 9-7, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5 (57m)
[4] Vicky Botwright & James Willstrop (ENG) bt [6] Lara Petera & Callum O'Brien (NZL) 6-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-6 (69m)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt [8] Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath (RSA) 9-4, 9-3, 9-5 (37m)
Three Countries Line Up For Doubles Medals In Melbourne
New Zealand, England and hosts Australia will contest the semi-finals in all three squash doubles events after a late conclusion to an packed day of Commonwealth Games action at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
England's defending champions Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol were taken to the wire in the last Men's Doubles quarter-final before triumphing 8-10, 9-2, 9-2, 3-9, 9-6 in 87 minutes over eighth-seeded Scots Harry Leitch & John White. The second seeds now face Australia's No3 seeds Dan Jenson & David Palmer for a place in their second successive final.
New Zealand secured an unexpected place in the other semi-final when Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight prevailed in a 123-minute marathon battle against England's fourth seeds Nick Matthew & James Willstrop. The kiwi pair, listed at 132 and 121, respectively, in the world (singles) rankings – but bronze medal winners in January's World Doubles Championships in Melbourne – beat the experienced Englishmen 9-4, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6.
Grayson & Knight will face top seeds Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts in a repeat of the January semi-final. The Australian pair faced their first real battle in this event when they went 2/1 down to seventh seeds Rodney Durbach & Adrian Hansen. The event favourites ultimately took the upper hand, beating the South Africans 9-7, 6-9, 7-9, 9-7, 9-5 in 98 minutes.
The Women's event saw the conclusion of the qualifying matches in the two pools – with Australian sisters Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham, the favourites, beating New Zealand's fourth seeds Louise Crome & Lara Petera 9-4, 11-9, 7-9, 9-4, then Papa New Guineans Naluge Guy & Eli Webb 9-5, 9-3, 9-2 to take top position in Pool 1.
Top slot in the other pool went to the second-seeded pair Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey – but only after the New Zealanders eked out a 6-9, 9-6, 9-6, 5-9, 9-5 victory in 75 minutes over England's third seeds Tania Bailey & Vicky Botwright.
The Grinhams will take on Bailey and Botwright in one semi-final, while Kitchen & Leevey will face compatriots Crome & Petera in the other – which will guarantee at last a silver medal to New Zealand.
Top seeds Rachael Grinham & David Palmer clinched the last quarter-final slot in the mixed event minutes before midnight in the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. The Australians beat England's seventh seeds Alison Waters & Adrian Grant 9-1, 9-6, 11-9 and will now face fellow countrymen Natalie Grinham & Joseph Kneipp for a place in the final. It will be the second time in a few days that Rachael has had to battle against her sister since Natalie beat her older sibling in last week's women's singles final.
The other mixed semi-final will also feature two players who will also compete in the women's semi-finals. Second seeds Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson take on England's fourth seeds Vicky Botwright & James Willstrop – with New Zealander Glen Wilson aiming to repeat the gold medal success he achieved with Leilani Joyce in the 2002 Games in Manchester.
In the quarter-finals, Kitchen & Wilson beat South Africans Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath 9-4, 9-3, 9-5, while the English pair put paid to an all-Kiwi semi by defeating sixth seeds Lara Petera & Callum O'Brien 6-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-6.
Men's semi-finals:
[1] Stewart Boswell & Anthony Ricketts (AUS) v [5] Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL)
[2] Lee Beachill & Peter Nicol (ENG) v [3] Dan Jenson & David Palmer (AUS)
Women's semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [3] Tania Bailey & Vicky Botwright (ENG)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) v [4] Louise Crome & Lara Petera (NZL)
Mixed semi-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) v [3] Natalie Grinham & Joseph Kneipp (AUS)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) v [4] Vicky Botwright & James Willstrop (ENG)