WORLD SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: Forbes Women's Southport Squash Open, Connecticut, USA
Quarter-finals:
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Melanie Jans (CAN) 9-4, 9-3, 9-2
[Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) bt [4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-4, 9-4, 9-1
[3] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Laura Lengthorn (ENG) 10-8, 9-2, 9-5
[2] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt [7] Salma Shabana (EGY) 3-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-6,
9-6
Semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 5-9, 8-10, 9-2, 9-5, 9-3
[3] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [2] Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-7, 9-7, 4-9, 9-4
Grinham Squeezes Into Second Successive Final
Top-seeded Australian Natalie Grinham reached her second successive WISPA
World Tour final in a week, but only after clambering back from 2-0 down
against Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik in the semi-finals of the Forbes Women's
Southport Squash Open in Connecticut, USA.
Malik, back on the circuit after a near three-year layoff with a mystery
virus, despatched her second seeded opponent in the event when she beat New
Zealander Shelley Kitchen, the fourth seed, in straight games in the
quarter-finals. The brave Welsh champion, just three days away from her 28th
birthday, took the opening two games against Grinham, winner of last week's
Apawamis Open in New York, before the favourite reasserted her authority to
register a 5-9 8-10 9-2 9-5 9-3 victory.
In the final, Grinham will meet England's third seed Vicky Botwright, who
enjoyed a confidence-boosting upset over her second-seeded compatriot
Stephanie Brind ahead of next month's British National championships.
Botwright, the world No18 from Manchester, beat Brind, ranked six places
higher, 9-7 9-7 4-9 9-4 to celebrate her first appearance in a WISPA final.