WORLD SQUASH NEWS
RESULTS: Women's Texas Open Squash Championship, Dallas, USA
Quarter-finals:
[1] Carol Owens (NZL) bt [8] Rebecca Macree (ENG) 9-2, 9-2, 9-4 (46m)
Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [4] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-6, 9-3, 9-1 (49m)
[5] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [3] Linda Charman (ENG) 1-9, 10-8, 9-2, 9-0
(40m)
[2] Natalie Pohrer (USA) bt [7] Cassie Jackman (ENG) 9-7, 3-9, 10-8, 3-9,
9-6 (64m)
Natalie Celebrates Sibling Success
Australia's Natalie Grinham scored one of the most satisfying victories of
her career when she beat her older sister Rachael Grinham for the first time
in her life in the quarter-finals of the Women's Texas Open Squash
Championship in Dallas, USA.
"I've waited 25 years for this win," said the ecstatic world No9 from
Toowoomba in Queensland after her 9-6 9-3 9-1 upset over fourth-seeded
Rachael, ranked four places higher in the world. "I've never beaten her at
any level before," added Natalie after the 49-minute rout.
Natalie, unseeded, was in control from the start, combining more patience
with her tremendous pace around the court. The 25-year-old, based in the
Netherlands, scuttled around picking up Rachael's short shots, either
returning them with interest at the front or floating the ball into the
diagonal back corner.
The younger Grinham has begun to believe in herself more over the last six
months and this confidence is translating itself into results - including her
first ever WISPA World Tour title wins in New York and Connecticut in January.
Natalie will face top-seeded Carol Owens in her first Grand Prix semi-final.
The world No1 from New Zealand comfortably overcame England's 8th seed
Rebecca Macree 9-2 9-2 9-4 in 46 minutes.
The other semi-final will also feature an unexpected line-up after two
further English exits. Linda Charman, the third seed, was unable to
capitalise on a decisive first game win against fifth seed Vanessa Atkinson
and eventually went down 1-9 10-8 9-2 9-0 to the Dutch No1 in 40 minutes.
Charman has not been well for the past few days and taking antibiotics. "As
we got into the second, all my energy just disappeared," said the world No3
from Eastbourne in Sussex afterwards.
"I knew she wasn't 100% so I was nervous. In fact I was so nervous I was
shaking," added Atkinson after recording her first victory over England's
highest-ranked player.
The quarter-final session on the all-glass court erected on the atrium ice
rink in the Plaza of the Americas in downtown Dallas ended in a close-fought
battle between the USA's No2 seed Natalie Pohrer and England's 7th seed
Cassie Jackman which went the full distance.
The ascendancy changed several times as first one then the other would hit a
hot spell. Pohrer eventually prevailed 9-7 3-9 10-8 3-9 9-6 in 64 minutes to
reach her sixth successive WISPA semi-final.
"I knew that I needed to get a good start in the fifth as Cassie was
dominating the court, so I tried to bottle her up at the back more,"
explained the 25-year-old from St Louis afterwards.