RESULTS: Women's Carol Weymuller Squash Open, Heights Casino, New York, USA
1st round:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 9-0, 9-6, 9-3
[5] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt [Q] Chinatsu Matsui (JPN) 10-8, 9-2, 9-5
[3] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [Q] Louise Crome (NZL) 9-5, 9-3, 9-0
[7] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Amelia Pittock (AUS) 1-9, 9-4, 9-1, 9-1
[Q] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [6] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-7, 3-9, 1-9, 9-7, 9-6
[4] Annelize Naude (NED) bt Runa Reta (CAN) 9-4, 9-2, 9-1
[8] Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Meredeth Quick (USA) 9-4, 9-3, 9-7
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-2, 9-1, 9-4
Quarter-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [5] Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-4, 9-3, 9-2
[3] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt [7] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 8-10, 9-5, 9-1, 7-9, 9-7
[4] Annelize Naude (NED) bt [Q] Manuela Manetta (ITA) 9-2, 9-4, 9-7
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [8] Tricia Chuah (MAS) 9-2, 9-2, 9-6
In a quarter-final clash described by Tournament Organiser Julian Wellings as "easily the match of the night and of the tournament so far", Egypt's third seed Engy Kheirallah was taken the full distance by Lauren Briggs before beating the seventh seed from England to claim her predicted place in the semi-finals of the established WISPA World Tour event at Heights Casino in New York, USA.
Briggs, the 27-year-old world No23 from Essex, got off to a good start – grabbing a quick 7-1 lead by taking the ball early and dominating the ‘T’ with effective volleying. Kheirallah fought back but was unable to stop her lower-ranked opponent from opening up a one-game lead.
The 24-year-old from Alexandria, ranked 12 in the world, recovered to take the next two games – but again Briggs bounced back to draw level. In the decider, the pair traded point for point until 7-7, after which Kheirallah had three match balls before finally clinching an 8-10, 9-5, 9-1, 7-9, 9-7 victory after a marathon 92 minutes.
Kheirallah, who became the first ever Egyptian to reach a British Open semi-final last month in Nottingham, will now take on Rachael Grinham, the top-seeded Australian who brushed aside Malaysia's fifth seed Sharon Wee 9-4, 9-3, 9-2.
“I felt good again today," said the former world No1 from Queensland. "I was hitting the ball well and felt I was moving really well. I’m always happy regardless of the result, as long as I’m moving well and hitting the ball well! The beginning of each game was very close but Sharon tends to drop the pressure towards the end of them which helped me.”
The other semi-final will bring together two former South Africans when second seed Natalie Grainger, now based in the USA but raised in Johannesburg, takes on the Dutch No2 Annelize Naude, born in Kempton Park, South Africa.
Grainger, the No2 seed from Washington DC, delighted the local crowd when she beat Malaysia's eighth seed Tricia Chuah 9-2, 9-2, 9-6.
"I was very focused in the first two games and felt good," said the top-ranked American. "In the third I lost some patience and started going short too early which made for a close finish. I needed to work the point more and I managed to do that at the end and get the win."
Fourth seed Naude ended Manuela Manetta's dream of making the last four when she beat the Italian qualifier 9-2, 9-4, 9-7.
Semi-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v [3] Engy Kheirallah (EGY)
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) v [4] Annelize Naude (NED)