Australians Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham will meet for the 16^th time on the WISPA World Tour in Saturday's final of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship.  But the encounter on an all-glass court near the Royal Palace in the Spanish capital will not only be the pair's first clash in a major Tour final, but the first ever World Open final featuring two sisters.

 

It was the second day of action on the open-air all-glass court set in the Jardines del Cabo Noval, adjacent to the Palacio Real - in the first sports event ever to be held alongside Madrid's historic Royal Palace.

 

In the first semi-final, second seed Natalie Grinham faced England's Tania Bailey in the pair's fourth meeting in the semi-finals of a Tour event this year.  Grinham junior, the three-times Commonwealth Games gold medallist from Toowoomba in Queensland, was in devastating form - brushing aside the fourth seed from Lincolnshire 9-2, 9-5, 9-7 in 41 minutes.

 

"I was a bit nervous before going on - not because it was a semi-final, but because I wasn't so comfortable on the court yesterday," explained 29-year-old Natalie after reaching her third world final in four years.  "But once I got on, I was timing the ball better - I play a bit better when I'm nervous, I focus better.

 

"I haven't really thought about what's like to be in my third final - but it would be nice to win one!  Hopefully I'll play as well in the final as I did tonight."

 

When asked whether winning the World Open crown was her ultimate goal, the Netherlands-based Aussie responded:  "I've already got my ultimate goal - winning three gold medals in the Commonwealth Games.  I don't want to put too much pressure on myself - I don’t need to win every single title there is!"

 

Tania Bailey, who was struck down by sinusitis on the eve of the event and had struggled with her breathing throughout the earlier rounds, conceded that she was not disappointed to lose:  "A week ago, I would have given anything to be in a world semi-final. 

 

 

"Natalie played really well, played the ball really tight - I couldn't maintain the way I played for the whole match because of the way she played.

 

"But I've learned a lot recently - I used to run around at 100mph all the time.  It makes me realise how valuable all the work I put in over the summer was," added the 28-year-old England number one from Stamford.

 

"I feel confident that I'm close to the top three in the world - even though I think they are another level ahead.  I'm still learning a lot and know the weaknesses in my game which I've got to work on.

 

"Natalie's got a great chance to win the title - she's probably the most consistent of the three.  But they are all capable of winning - and it's good for the game that that is the case!" concluded Bailey.

 

Later, former world number one Rachael Grinham took on fifth seed Natalie Grainger.  Third seed Grinham, aged 30 and based in Cairo, was looking for her second major title in a month after winning the British Open in September - and Grainger was hoping for her first win over the Queenslander in 10 clashes since the World Open in Qatar five years ago.

 

Grainger, the Pan American Games champion from Washington DC, darted to a first game lead - but Grinham took control of the match thereafter to wrap up a 5-9, 9-6, 9-6, 9-3 victory after 45 minutes.

 

"It was so nerve-wracking - it was obviously a great chance for Natalie and me to be in our first major Tour final together, and she had already won her semi," said Rachael, runner-up in 2005, afterwards.  "But even though I've won most of the recent matches against Natalie (Grainger), she's one of the best players - especially on that court.

 

"The match seemed so fast - I'm not used to games going that fast - I had to try and relax and slow it down a bit."

 

When asked her feelings about playing her sister in the historic world final, Rachael said:  "I'm sure we both want to win the title - which neither of us has done before - but, in a sense, the best thing is us both reaching the final.  At least it's going to be one of us that wins - and whichever of us loses, we won't be as disappointed as we would be losing to someone else!

 

"It's just like it was in the Commonwealth Games - the excitement was over once we'd both reached the final!"

 

Natalie Grinham agreed that it had been difficult watching the final stages of her sister's match:  "As it was getting towards the end, I was getting to g really nervous - just like at the Commonwealth Games, when I had already won my semi and had to wait for Rachael to get through hers."

 

Earlier, immediately after hugging Rachael as she came off court, Natalie was on the phone to their parents down under.

 

"I've just spoken to Mum and Dad at home," said Natalie later.  "Mum was watching the live scoreboard on a dial-up connection, and I woke Dad up.  He said, 'I thought that might be why you were ringing'!"

 

Official website: http://squash.sportec.com

 

In one of the biggest upsets in the 28-year history of the event, Malaysia's world number one and top seed Nicol David crashed out of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship when she was beaten in five games by New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen in a dramatic second round match in the sport's biggest-ever women's event at Club Palestra in the Spanish capital.

 

Kitchen romped to a two game lead after just 24 minutes - the two times world champion only managing to pick up a single point.  But the redoubtable David forced her way back into the match to draw level.

 

Order looked as if it was about to be restored when the 24-year-old Malaysian superstar - widely expected to reach her 18^th successive final on the WISPA World Tour - took a 5-0 lead in the decider.  However, the 27-year-old from Auckland regained the upper hand - and, after drawing level to six-all in three hands, took the final three points in a single hand to earn a sensational 9-0, 9-1, 2-9, 3-9, 9-6 victory in 69 minutes.

 

"I can't really believe it," said the ecstatic Kiwi afterwards.  "It's great to get to the quarter-finals of the World Open - but to have done it by beating Nicol, who is such a great competitor and so good on court, is extra special."

 

When asked about her tactics for the match, the tenth seed replied:  "I just wanted to stop her volleying - I wanted to hit the ball hard and fast, and play my game.  She made a lot of mistakes in the first and second games.  At 5-3 in the fifth, I felt she was a bit tired and that the momentum just shifted slightly.

 

"She might have been a little nervous, with all the pressure - but I was quite relaxed," added Kitchen, a quarter-finalist for only the second time.  "I think I played well.  These courts definitely suit my game - I usually do well on courts like this."

 

Nicol David, who also suffered a shock defeat to the New Zealander in the bronze medal play-off in last year's Commonwealth Games, conceded that she was "very disappointed".

 

"Shelley's always a tough opponent and I knew she'd be tough from the start - she just went for it.  My focus was up and down.  At 5-0 in the fifth, she recomposed herself - but I was still trying to work the ball.

 

"It just wasn't my day, really," added the favourite who has now failed to reach a WISPA Tour quarter-final for the first time since April 2004 - 36 events ago!  "I must now refocus myself for Qatar and Hong Kong next month."

 

Kitchen will now meet Natalie Grainger for a place in the semi-finals.  The fifth seed from the USA, winner of the Pan American Games gold medal in July, despatched Egypt's 13^th seed Engy Kheirallah 9-2, 9-0, 9-0 in just 26 minutes.

 

There was another upset earlier in the day when ninth seed Jenny Duncalf beat her England team-mate Vicky Botwright in 48 minutes after the No6 seed retired with a back injury with the score standing at 9-4, 9-6, 5-3.

 

"I felt a twinge on my right side when Jenny pushed me forward at the end of the second game," explained Botwright, the England No3 from Manchester.

 

"It was shortly after the British Open (in September) that I played a league match when I felt a similar twinge, and woke up the next morning with the left side of my body paralysed.  Tania Bailey was my saviour - luckily she was staying with me that night and helped me get dressed and took me to the EIS in Manchester.  It was two days before I regained feeling - and some time before I was back to normal.

 

"I guess I just haven't been put under that kind of pressure since the British Open - but I didn't want to risk anything like that again, so I had to retire.  If I have to lose to anybody like that, I'd rather it was to an English player!"

 

 

Duncalf seemed surprisingly downbeat following the win which takes her into her maiden World quarter-final:  "It's never nice to win like that - but I thought I played well and deserved to win," said the 24-year-old from Harrogate in Yorkshire.

 

"I had a game plan and stuck to it - I didn't make many errors and was hitting a good length.  I'm looking forward to playing on the glass court - though I hear the weather forecast suggests that it will be only one degree!  But I'm ecstatic really - it's good to be in my first world quarter-final!"

 

One of the bravest wins of the day was achieved by fourth seed Tania Bailey in the other all-English last sixteen clash.  Struggling for the second day with a recurrence of sinusitis, the England number one fought back from a game down to beat 11^th seed Laura Lengthorn-Massaro 8-10, 9-5, 10-9, 9-3 in 75 minutes.

 

"I can't believe I managed to get through that," said the 28-year-old from Lincolnshire who was clearly again having serious difficulty with her breathing.  "I felt I needed to win the first game - and when I didn't, I didn't think I could win the match. 

 

"But I felt I then played thoughtful squash.  I was feeling light-headed and kept having to take deep breaths.  I never went into the match thinking I was going to win - Laura is such a tough player," added Bailey, who goes on to meet former world champion Vanessa Atkinson.

 

"I look forward to playing on the glass court - where conditions surely couldn't be more different from those here.  I've actually beaten Vanessa the last four times I've played her - but that followed about eight wins in a row by her.  But she's playing a lot better at the moment."

 

Atkinson, the eighth seed from the Netherlands competing in her 11^th World Open, was the first player to reserve a place in the quarter-finals when she beat Australia's 15^th seed Kasey Brown 9-5, 9-0, 9-0.

 

"Kasey was moving well in the first game, but then she began to struggle and I was getting more confident in my shots," said the 2004 champion.  "I feel my movement is back to what it was a few years ago - but my strength is better. 

 

"It's a huge difference being eighth seed, instead of the ninth seed I was - and getting through these first two rounds reasonably comfortably will probably make a big difference when we get onto the glass court. 

 

"I feel quite relaxed - and I put that down to Malcolm (Willstrop) my coach.  I used to be tense and a little highly strung - but he's knocked that out of me.  It's the club atmosphere at Pontefract - it's so relaxed.  And I love training.  In fact I actually enjoy training now, which is a new thing."

 

Australian sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham secured their places in the last eight with relative ease - third seed Rachael Grinham fighting back from a game down to beat England's No12 seed Alison Waters 4-9, 9-6, 9-4, 9-5 in 71 minutes, and younger sister Natalie, the second seed, knocking out Hong Kong's Rebecca Chiu, the 14^th seed, 9-5, 9-5, 9-4 in 40 minutes.

 

Tournament action now moves onto an all-glass court sited adjacent to the Royal Palace (the Palacio Real) in Madrid - the first time in the city's history that any sporting event has been staged by the Spanish capital's world-famous Palace.

 

Natalie Grinham will face Egypt's No7 seed Omneya Abdel Kawy, while Rachael will take on Jenny Duncalf.

 

The Queensland sisters agree that the setting will be quite different:  "We all prefer playing on the glass court - it'll be much fairer for everybody," said Natalie.  "Tomorrow will be quite different, it'll be a lot colder.  Omneya's very talented with the racquet and she had a tough match today."

 

Rachael added:  "The games (on the indoor club courts) take a lot out of you, both physically and mentally.  It makes for really limited opportunities - you can't really win at the front of the court. 

 

"It's a lot easier to go from any court in the world onto a glass court as they tend to be the same.  All I'll need tomorrow is about 15 minutes to get used to the court - yet sometimes it can take up to two days to get used to other courts."

 

Players from seven nations - two from England and one from each of Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark and Ireland - claimed places in the main draw of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship after surviving testing qualifying finals today (Monday) at Club Palestra in the Spanish capital.

 

The lengthiest battle saw Louise Crome boost New Zealand interest in the sport's biggest-ever event by 50% when she outlasted English fire-fighter Laura Hill 9-6, 6-9, 9-6, 3-9, 9-0.

 

"I knew the match would be a long and hard one," said the delighted 29-year-old from Auckland afterwards.  "But I'm more happy about winning this because Laura is such a great player, so consistent - she doesn't make mistakes.  I'm just ecstatic about qualifying for the first time."

 

It took 72 minutes to resolve the clash between Ireland's world No39 Aisling Blake and Canadian Carolyn Russell, ranked just 11 places below.  Blake set off at a blistering pace, winning the opening game in a whitewash - but the 26-year-old from Sligo soon found herself 2/1 down going into the fourth game.  Blake regrouped and ultimately pulled off a 9-0, 5-9, 7-9, 9-7, 9-2 win to qualify for the first time.

 

England's Suzie Pierrepont claimed the first qualifying slot after a stunning upset over Malaysia's Tricia Chuah, the top-ranked player in the qualifiers.  It was a relieved and delighted 22-year-old from Sussex who came through - exactly a year after injuring her heel in the first round of the qualifiers in the 2006 World Open in Belfast, resulting in a layoff of some ten months!

 

"I'd never played Tricia before, but I knew on that court she would struggle.  I spent most of the summer training in New York with Damon Brown.  And I'm now waiting for my visa to come through so that I can go back and live there," Pierrepont explained. 

 

"Having the heel injury last year, and being out of action for so long, really affects your ranking.  I was 30 before I had the accident - and now I'm 45 - which makes such a difference in terms of qualifying for events like this.  I'm now aiming for the low 20s, just as I was a year ago. 

 

"But, having the long layoff has made me more aware of the work I need to do.  I'm still not 100% confident of my heel - but, I'm not a size zero, so I have to be careful," added Pierrepont, the lowest-ranked player to qualify.

 

At the end of the day, the former European Junior champion was joined from the qualifiers by compatriot Lauren Briggs after the 28-year-old from Essex beat Pakistan's sole hope Carla Khan 7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-2.  Briggs, ranked 24 in the world, will face New Zealand's tenth seed Shelley Kitchen in the first round, while Pierrepont will take on compatriot and close friend Alison Waters, the No12 seed.

 

Manuela Manetta became the first Italian ever to qualify for the Women's World Open when she beat Ireland's Laura Mylotte 9-4, 9-6, 9-1.

 

"I'd never played her before - but I knew it wasn't going to be easy.  I really prepared myself well, though I was a bit nervous at the beginning.  But once I started to play well I knew I could relax," said the 24-year-old from Parma.

 

"I am so very happy.  I thought I played well - I've been working hard for the past three or four months with my coach Marcus Berrett in Milan (about an hour away from where I live) and I'm so glad it has all come together so well."

 

Dutch player Orla Noom, ranked 40 in the world, celebrated her first success in the qualifiers at her third attempt after upsetting England's Sarah Kippax, ranked nine places higher.  Kippax fought back from 2/0 down to level the match, but Noom - despite winning the Leinster Open in Dublin only 48 hours before - had enough in reserve to pull off a notable 9-3, 9-6, 4-9, 1-9, 9-3 victory in 61 minutes.

 

"When I got the first match-ball, I felt I should play safe - and the rally seemed to go on for ages.  At 3-8 down, I decided to be more adventurous and got a wonderful nick - so it was disappointing that I actually then won the match-ball on a stroke," explained the delighted 21-year-old from Hoofddorp.

 

"One of my goals this year was to qualify for the Worlds.  But when the Leinster Open came up, I set my sights on winning that.  So when I got here, I just decided to take it one match at a time - so I'm really happy to have qualified."

 

Local hopes in the qualifying event of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship were extinguished in today's (Sunday) first round at Club Palestra in Madrid when three players ranked outside the world's top 200 failed to dislodge their higher-ranked opponents.  But all three were delighted that the sport's biggest-ever event was being staged in the Spanish capital.

 

Barcelona's Elisabet Sado Garriga, who has represented Spain in 13 successive European Team Championships since 1995, thrilled the Madrid crowd when she took the opening game against Canada's Carolyn Russell.  But the experienced world No50 from Vancouver regained the initiative to storm through to a 7-9, 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 win in 36 minutes.

 

"I felt comfortable in the first game, but then my lack of match fitness began to show," said Sado, the 26-year-old five times Spanish national champion playing in the World Open for only the second time since 1996.   "She has a real hard style to play against - and she's really fit.

 

"It's great to have the World Open in Spain - and it would be really good if it inspired more people to play squash," added Sado.

 

Laura Alonso Perez, playing in only her second WISPA tournament since making her Tour debut last week in London, offered stiff resistance to Malaysia's Tricia Chuah - the top seed in the qualifiers - before going down 9-2, 9-2, 9-0 in 25 minutes.

 

"It's so important for squash in Spain to have the World Open here - not only to make more people aware of the sport in our country, but also to attract more girls to play the game," said the 31-year-old from Tenerife. 

 

"I only started playing squash five years ago, and have won the Canary Island championship six times.   But Tricia was just too strong for me today, she's so consistent and plays such a straight game. 

 

"I am so happy to be part of WISPA and am so grateful for the support of the Spanish Federation.  This has been a fantastic experience and I will take it back to Tenerife with me - and pass it on to the group of kids who I coach there."

 

Chuah conceded that her opponent made her work hard as she was "better than I expected her to be."

 

"I felt uncomfortable to start with as the court was so warm and the ball so bouncy.  But I'm glad to start the competition with a win," acknowledged the world No26 from Kuala Lumpur.

 

The youngest Spanish hope was Xisela Aranda Nunez, who extended Ireland's Aisling Blake for 22 minutes before going down 9-0, 9-4, 9-1.

 

"I am so happy to be here - I only started playing squash four years ago after giving up tennis," said the 21-year-old from Vigo, in north west Spain.  "I have been training hard for the past month with Elisabet Sado - but playing in this event has been incredible.

 

"Having the World Open in Madrid has been good for people not only to see the top Spanish players, but also the best women in the world.

 

"Even though I lost today, being part of the event has been amazing - I will remember this as an unbelievable experience in my life," added Aranda Nunez.

 

Orla Noom, the world No40 from the Netherlands who arrived in Madrid today direct from winning the Leinster Open title in Dublin yesterday, felt as if she was carrying on playing in the same event.

 

"I must say that I'm beginning to feel a bit tired now - but I'm definitely happy to get through," said the 21-year-old from Hoofddorp after beating England's Georgina Stoker 9-3, 9-6, 6-9, 9-5.

 

"The last time I played Georgina, she was injured, so I was expecting a tough game today.  The court was really bouncy - but, because I'm quite tall, that suits me."

 

Four English players battled through to Monday's qualifying finals.  Exactly a year after injuring her heel in the first round of the qualifiers in the 2006 World Open in Belfast - and being out of action for ten months - Sussex's Suzie Pierrepont had a comfortable 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 first round win over Dutch player Dagmar Vermeulen in just 18 minutes.

 

"When you're out for so long, it not only messes up your fitness, but it also really ruins your confidence - so it's great to be back in action here and winning.  And after all that, it would be so good to qualify," said the 22-year-old who now lives in Oxfordshire.

 

Cheshire's Sarah Kippax beat France's Celia Allamargot 9-0, 5-9, 9-1, 9-2 - but was surprised to drop the second game:  "I played Celia in last week's London Open, so I knew what to expect.  But after I won the first game easily, she really took me by surprise in the second - she really played some good shots.  But I got back in control in the third.

 

"I've never qualified for the Worlds before so it would be really good to do that here," added the 24-year-old world No31.

 

Derbyshire fire-fighter Laura Hill took just 22 minutes to beat Sweden's Anna-Carin Forstadius 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.  "I'm really enjoying playing the circuit while also working fulltime.  In fact, I've taken a week off work, and am here in Madrid with my boyfriend Kevin.  I find it really good doing things like sight-seeing in places like this - it works for me and takes the pressure off, helping me to feel fresher when I get on court," said Hill.

 

Qualifying finals line-up:

Tricia Chuah (MAS) v Suzie Pierrepont (ENG)

Sarah Kippax (ENG) v Orla Noom (NED)

Manuela Manetta (ITA) v Laura Mylotte (IRL)

Louise Crome (NZL) v Laura Hill (ENG)

Runa Reta (CAN) v Elise Ng (HKG)

Line Hansen (DEN) v Margriet Huisman (NED)

Aisling Blake (IRL) v Carolyn Russell (CAN)

Lauren Briggs (ENG) v Carla Khan (PAK)

 

Official website: http://squash.sportec.com

Players from 18 nations will compete in the qualifying tournament for next week's Women's World Open Squash Championships in Madrid, according to the draw published today (Tuesday) by the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).

 

Eight qualifying slots are available in the sport's biggest ever women's event, which will be staged adjacent to the Royal Palace (the Palacio Real) in the Spanish capital, from 23-27 October.  The 32-draw qualifying championship will be staged at the city's Pallestra Squash Club from 21-22 October.

 

Seven-times US champion Latasha Khan heads the qualifying draw - and will face local player Laura Alonso Perez, the 31-year-old Canary Islands number one from Tenerife who is making her World Open debut.

 

Spain's 21-year-old Xisela Aranda Nunez, who made her WISPA Tour debut in last week's London Open in England, will face Ireland's Aisling Blake in the other half of the qualifying draw.

 

Lauren Briggs, one of six English players trying to qualify, is second seed - and is drawn to face Dutch player Karen Kronemeyer.

 

Camille Serme, runner-up in the Women's World Junior Championship in August, is one of three French players seeking a place in the main draw.  The 18-year-old from Creteil, who made her World Open debut in last year's qualifiers, meets Canada's Runa Reta, a 26-year-old from Ottawa in her sixth qualifying attempt since 2001.

 

Qualifying draw:

Latasha Khan (USA) v Laura Alonso Perez (ESP)

Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) v Dagmar Vermeulen (NED)

Line Hansen (DEN) v Celia Allamargot (FRA)

Orla Noom (NED) v Georgina Stoker (ENG)

Manuela Manetta (ITA) v Lucie Fialova (CZE)

Laura Mylotte (IRL) v Birgit Coufal (AUT)

Louise Crome (NZL) v Karina Herrera Zuniga (MEX)

Laura Hill (ENG) v Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE)

Elise Ng (HKG) v Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO)

Runa Reta (CAN) v Camille Serme (FRA)

Margriet Huisman (NED) v Lauren Selby (ENG)

Tricia Chuah (MAS) v Kerri Shields (IRL)