WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Dutch Open Squash Championships, The Hague, Netherlands

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [Q] Raj Nanda (AUS) 15-7, 15-6, 15-6
[4] Gavin Jones (WAL) bt [6] Alex Stait (ENG) 15-3, 15-6, 15-11
[3] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Liam Kenny (IRL) 15-14, 15-9, 15-9
Stacey Ross (ENG) bt [2] Tommy Berden (NED) w/o

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [7] Carla Khan (PAK) 9-1, 9-3, 9-3
[4] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [8] Annelize Naude (NED) 9-1, 9-4, 7-9, 9-0
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [5] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-7, 9-2, 9-4
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [6] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-3, 9-1, 9-2

Atkinson & Anjema Lead Dutch Hopes In The Hague

Domestic hopes in the Dutch Open Squash Championships lie exclusively in the hands of world No3 Vanessa Atkinson and world No48 Laurens Jan Anjema after second seed Tommy Berden and eighth seed Annelize Naude fell in contrasting circumstances in the quarter-finals at the Caesar Sports Club in The Hague.

Atkinson, who like Anjema is based in The Hague, was too good for the American Latasha Khan, beating the sixth seed 9-3 9-1 9-2 in a 24-minute women's quarter-final.  To reach her third successive Dutch Open final, second-seeded Atkinson will have to beat Netherlands-based Australian Natalie Grinham in what is sure to be an emotionally-charged 'local derby'.  Grinham, the 26-year-old world No5, cruised to a 9-7 9-2 9-4 win over France's Isabelle Stoehr. 

The other women's semi-final will also provide a high-powered domestic duel, between England's top two players Cassie Jackman, the world No1, and sixth-ranked Linda Charman.  Jackman beat Pakistan's Carla Khan 9-1 9-3 9-3 and Charman took four games to beat Annelize Naude, from the Netherlands, 9-1 9-4 7-9 9-0.

The first player through to the last four in the men's event was England's unseeded Stacey Ross - who was given a walkover when Dutch National champion Tommy Berden, the No2 seed, was forced to withdraw with a knee and hamstring injury.  Ross will now face the Dutch No2 Laurens Jan Anjema, who progressed to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Liam Kenny from Ireland.  Anjema won the first game with the narrowest margin, before clinching the match 15-14 15-9 15-9.

The other men's semi-final will be contested between top seed Davide Bianchetti and fourth seed Gavin Jones.  Bianchetti, the Italian No1, was too strong for Australian qualifier Raj Nanda, winning 15-7 15-6 15-6.  Welshman Jones enjoyed a straightforward 15-3 15-6 15-11 win over England's sixth seed Alex Stait.