RESULTS: Qatar Airways Challenge, Hyderabad, India
Semi-finals:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 4-9, 9-4, 9-2 (55m)
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 5-9, 6-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-0 (65m)
David Defeats Duncalf In Epic Fight Back In Hyderabad
Appearing in her first WISPA Grand Prix semi-final, England's Jenny Duncalf came within three points of pulling off a mighty upset to reach the final of the women's Qatar Airways Challenge, the third biggest championship on the WISPA World Tour this year which is being staged on a revolutionary glass-floored glass showcourt erected in front of the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, India.
But top seed Nicol David, the world champion from Malaysia who was appearing in her 11th successive WISPA Tour semi-final, staged a courageous fight back from 0-2 and 1/6 down in the third game to beat the fifth seed 5-9, 6-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-0 in 65 minutes to reach the 23rd WISPA final of her career.
"Jenny played really well – she came out at 100 mph," David told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "To be honest, I was watching and admiring her game more than playing my own!
"At 6/1 down, I knew that giving points away wasn't an option anymore – I just had to keep the rallies going, keep her behind me and make sure she made the first mistakes. Once I started to get in front, I got more confidence to play my shots and she started to get tired."
David's opponent in the final will be her long-time rival Rachael Grinham, the second seed from Australia who beat third seed Natalie Grinham to avenge the defeat by her younger sister in the Commonwealth Games final in Australia in March.
"It's my turn," declared 29-year-old Rachael after the 9-4, 4-9, 9-4, 9-2 victory in 55 minutes which earned her her 35th appearance in a WISPA Tour final.
Natalie, whose remarkable success in Melbourne also included gold medals in the Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles, summed up her sister's success: "It just depends on who's sharp on the day. Rachael played an awesome game against Tania (Bailey, in the quarter-finals) – and I told her that she couldn’t possibly play like that two days in a row!
"But I think that backfired on me, because it made her more determined to play well again," explained the 28-year-old who is based in the Netherlands.
The final will be the pair's first meeting since last December's World Open climax in Hong Kong, where David won the prestigious title for the first time.