RESULTS:    Women's Alexandria Sporting Club Squash Open, Alexandria, Egypt

Semi-finals:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [4] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (27m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Annie Au (HKG) 11-9, 11-3, 11-8 (28m)

Final:
[1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 11-5, 11-2, 20-18 (37m)
 



After surviving a marathon third game tie-break, Australia's world champion Rachael Grinham beat former world champion Vanessa Atkinson in the final of the Women's Alexandria Sporting Club Open to retain her title in the $25,000 WISPA World Tour squash event at the Alexandria Sporting Club in Alexandria, Egypt.

Grinham, the Cairo-based world number three, disappointed the local crowd when she beat Alexandria star Raneem El Weleily, the No4 seed, in the semi-finals to reach the 48th Tour final of her career.

Atkinson, the second seed from the Netherlands, claimed her 34th final appearance after ending the brave run of Annie Au in the other semi - beating her unseeded Hong Kong opponent in straight games.

After dominating the first two games in the final and romping to match-ball at 10-7 in the third, it seemed likely that the title was back in Grinham's hands.  But Atkinson was not about to concede so easily and levelled the game before proceeding to three game-balls of her own.

But, at 18-18 - with the game already achieving the record as the highest 'tie-break' score since WISPA introduced its Pro-Scoring last month - Grinham held her nerve to win the next two points to claim her historic 11-5, 11-2, 20-18 victory after 37 minutes.

Asked about the marathon tie-break, the runner-up told the media:  "I was too tired to think. I was just trying to hang in there and get some balls back.  I felt I played better and better as I got the match practice and to get used to PAR.  That was the whole point of playing the event."

As for the winner, Grinham explained about the endgame. "She thought it was over and so became relaxed.  I didn't panic though.  In fact I was relaxed today and for the first time I was confident going short.  I was having a really good day until she picked it up at the end, but I always felt I would get through it even if it took another game," said Grinham, after winning her first title of the year, but the 28th of her career.

"Mind you, I always enjoy playing Vanessa as it is a fair game."