RESULTS: Qatar Airways Challenge, Hyderabad, India
2nd round:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-10, 9-5, 9-2, 9-7 (68m)
[6] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 9-5, 9-0, 9-0 (35m)
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [16] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-6, 9-2, 9-0 (40m)
[7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [9] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) 3-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-4 (44m)
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [14] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-2, 6-9, 9-6, 9-3 (55m)
[4] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-7, 9-1, 9-7 (44m)
[8] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [Q] Kasey Brown (AUS) 5-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-4 (50m)
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [10] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-6, 4-9, 9-6, 9-5 (60m)
Seeds Safely Through In Hyderabad
The top eight seeds safely survived today's (Thursday) second round of the third biggest squash championship on the WISPA World Tour, but not without testing encounters in the women's Qatar Airways Challenge at the Secunderabad Club in Hyderabad, India.
Australia's second seed Rachael Grinham endured the longest battle of the day against Asian Games champion Rebecca Chiu, the 13th seed from Hong Kong. The former world No1 from Queensland, now based in Egypt, dropped the first game after a nail-biting tie-break – but then maintained the upper hand throughout the next three games to prevail 9-10, 9-5, 9-2, 9-7 in 68 minutes.
One match away from a possible semi-final clash with her younger sister Natalie Grinham, Rachael now meets England's Tania Bailey – winner of the shortest second round encounter. The sixth seed ended the brave run of Nicolette Fernandes with a 9-5, 9-0, 9-0 victory in 35 minutes over the qualifier from Guyana.
Natalie Grinham, the third seed, eased to a 9-6, 9-2, 9-0 win over England's 16th seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter – and must now overcome Egypt's seventh seed Omneya Abdel Kawy if she is to make the anticipated date with her sibling for the pair's first meeting since Natalie beat Rachael for the gold medal in March's Commonwealth Games in Australia.
A Games score was settled in Hyderabad in the second round clash between favourite Nicol David and 10th seed Shelley Kitchen. David, the world champion from Malaysia, avenged her defeat to the New Zealander in the bronze medal play-off in Melbourne by beating Kitchen 9-6, 4-9, 9-6, 9-5 in 60 minutes.
The top seed will now meet eighth seed Alison Waters after the 22-year-old from England ended the 18-match unbeaten WISPA run by Kasey Brown with a 5-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-4 victory over the Australian qualifier.