Rachael Grinham Wins World Open Title

In tonight's historic final of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship, Rachael Grinham beat Natalie Grinham in straight games in the Spanish capital in the first ever world final between two sisters.

It was the final 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.

Rachael Grinham, the older of the pair by 14 months, has enjoyed sensational recent form - her appearance in the Madrid climax being her fifth WISPA World Tour final in a row and the 44th of her career.  Last month, the 30-year-old Queenslander netted her third British Open crown after her first defeat of Malaysia's world number one Nicol David for more than two years.

Natalie Grinham, boasting her 25th Tour final appearance, had earlier admitted that her record three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in her home country last year had been her 'ultimate goal'.  But with a runner-up finish in both the 2004 and 2006 World Open finals, it was clear that the 29-year-old second seed was hoping that it would be 'third time lucky'.

Grinham senior took the opening game for the loss of only four points - but Natalie came back to take a 4-1, then 6-3, lead in the second.  However, demonstrating the same form which has seen her win four of her previous five finals, Rachael charged back to take the game, and then the third, to win 9-4, 10-8, 9-2 in 47 minutes and claim her first World Open title.

"30 years old, and I've finally won my first world championship!" said Rachael to the packed and exuberant crowd at the presentations. 

"It's been an awesome couple of months - I've been world number one and now I'm world champion," said the third seed, who has now increased her WISPA Tour haul to 27 titles.

"I was having a bit of a spiral downwards and over the summer put in a lot more training - and things started to go well," explained the senior Grinham, who has only lost one match in 21 since August when she won the Alexandria Sporting Club Open title in her adopted home country Egypt.

"Winning the British Open last month obviously gave me some confidence - and this will too."

When asked what her feelings were when she was behind in the second game, Rachael replied:  "I wasn't thinking I was going to lose the game, or the match - just that I wanted to make her work!

"We know each others games so well, that when we play each other we're often quite hesitant when we make shots - trying to counter the response we're expecting.

"She made a lot of mistakes tonight that she wouldn't normally do. I wanted to win quite badly - the fact I was playing my sister didn't really matter! This was a championship I really wanted to win.  And I am thrilled to have done it at last!"

Asked if she felt any sympathy for her sister, Rachael was quick to respond:  "No!  After all, she's got three Commonwealth Games gold medals!"

Natalie Grinham conceded that she was "not too disappointed to have lost" - then revealed that she had considered pulling out of the event at the beginning of the week after sustaining a wrist injury on the eve of the tournament. 

"It eased off as the tournament developed - but I am disappointed that I couldn't play better tonight.  I felt I played much better last night," said the 29-year-old, now based in the Netherlands.

"She played her game and didn't let me play mine.  She's very fast - and when she gets the ball she does something with it," added Natalie.  "But if I've got to lose to somebody, I'd rather it be her. I made a few errors - against her your shots need to be perfect, and mine weren't!

"But I'm really happy to see Rachael playing well again - she's the only player on the current Tour who can trick me."

When asked how she felt about playing in the first ever world final between two sisters, Natalie replied:  "It's fantastic.  Both of us being in the final, rather than one of us winning it, is almost perfect.  Perfect would have been if I'd won it!"

After receiving her trophy, Rachael thanked the organisers and wished Madrid 16 well in its bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Natalie added: "I hope you win the bid - and I hope Squash will also be in the Games.  I won't be playing then, but I'll certainly come and watch."
 

26-Oct, Semi-finals:

[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [5] Natalie Grainger (USA)            5-9, 9-6, 9-6, 9-3 (45m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [4] Tania Bailey (ENG)                   9-2, 9-5, 9-7 (41m)

 

 

Grinham Sisters On Course
For World Open Showdown

Australian sisters Natalie and Rachael Grinham are on course for a showdown in the final of the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship in the Spanish capital after commanding victories in today's (Thursday) quarter-finals of the sport's biggest-ever women's event.

After two rounds at the city's Club Palestra, action has switched to an open-air all-glass court at the Jardines del Cabo Noval, adjacent to the Palacio Real.  The 2007 World Open Championship is the first sports event ever to be held alongside Madrid's historic Royal Palace.

Second seed Natalie Grinham, twice a runner-up in the event, recovered from a game down to beat Egypt's seventh seed Omneya Abdel Kawy 4-9, 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 in 44 minutes.

"Glass courts usually all play the same - but this one took a bit of getting used to, as it was quite cold out there," said the 29-year-old Queenslander who is based in the Netherlands.  "It's nice to be able to play a drop shot and get winners. 

"Anything I hit loose, she'd put away.  Omneya's a great shot player - I knew she'd be tough on that court."

When asked about her sister Rachael, the older of the 'Toowoomba Twosome' and surprise winner of the British Open crown in September, Natalie replied:  "In the British Open she played the best she's played for a long time.  She's got the whole game.  I just train hard!"

Natalie will face England's Tania Bailey for a place in Saturday's final:  "Tomorrow will be better for both of us from the start, as we'll be used to the court."

Rachael is also celebrating her fourth successive appearance in the semi-finals - in the opposing half of the draw.  The third seed took only 29 minutes to get past England's Jenny Duncalf, beating the No9 seed 9-3, 9-2, 9-1.

"I prefer these kind of conditions - this is real squash!  I adapt to these conditions pretty quickly and played a lot more shots," said the 2005 runner-up who is based in Cairo.  "I felt really good out there today.  Jenny wasn't moving as well as she usually does - and didn't have very good length.  I was expecting it to be tougher."

Asked for her reaction to the shock defeat of world number one Nicol David by New Zealander Shelley Kitchen in the previous round, Rachael said:  "Nicol had a good run - but I think it is inevitable that you're going to have a down.  You can't keep winning every match.  If we'd played the whole tournament on those indoor courts, Shelley might be world champion!

"I would like to be world number one again - but the World Open is one title I haven't won, so that would be nice," added Grinham senior.

Tania Bailey continued her incredible run in the event with a 9-0, 10-9, 7-9, 9-4 defeat of former world champion Vanessa Atkinson.  Struck down by sinusitis on the eve of the championship, fourth seed Bailey struggled with her breathing in both victories leading to the quarter-finals.

"I couldn't quite believe it," said the 28-year-old from Stamford in Lincolnshire after claiming the first semi-final place of the day - and the first of her career in the event.

"I felt really relaxed tonight, whereas yesterday I felt a bit edgy - and Vanessa wasn't moving as well as normal.  I did feel a bit tired today, but I was desperate to play well, and I did.  Vanessa's won everything there is to win. 

"I've been training hard through the summer - and if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have got through the first two rounds.  Two days ago, I didn't have any hopes of getting this far," conceded the England number one.

In the final match of the day, second round heroine Shelley Kitchen finally met her match in Natalie Grainger when she went down 9-2, 9-1, 9-0 to the Pan American Games champion from the USA in just 23 minutes.

"I saw Shelley play a couple of weeks back - and as a result decided to pick my short game tonight," said fifth seed Grainger.  "She's such a good driver of the ball, and hits a great length.  Nicol was definitely nervous last night and feeling the pressure.

"Club courts and glass courts are always going to be different - but we're all professionals and we just get on with it.  I did feel the cold a bit tonight - but once you're playing you forget about it."

A local power-cut midway through the players' pre-match knock up caused a 20-minute delay.  "It was quite late anyway - but we had a bit of a laugh as we were waiting for it to be sorted out.  There was no point in getting too worked up," said the 2002 runner-up.

When asked about her prospects in the semi-finals against Rachael Grinham, Grainger responded:  "I've been looking forward to this tournament for quite a while now, preparing to play Nicol, followed by Rachael.  She (Rachael) and I played the final of the Vassar College Open final (early this month) and she beat me 9-6 in the fifth.  She will do what she can to push the ball about. 

"But if I've learned anything about that match and my quarter-final against Nicol David in the British Open, it's how close I am to the top three in the world.  I hadn't caused them any problems for a time, but now I feel I'm knocking on the door again."

Kitchen Sinks Nicol As World Champion
Ends Her Reign In Spain

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 18th 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 13th 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 11th 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 11th World Open, was the first player to reserve a place in the quarter-finals when she beat Australia's 15th 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 14th 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."
 

Bailey Hounded By Hawkes In Madrid World Open

England's fourth seed Tania Bailey looked close to providing the only upset on the opening day of main draw action in the Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship when she squandered a 2/0 lead against unseeded Jaclyn Hawkes to face three game-balls which would have taken the match into a fifth game decider at Club Palestra in the Spanish capital.

It was clear that something was amiss with the 28-year-old England No1 in the third game after taking the first two for the loss of just five points.  Bailey, suffering with sinusitis, was struggling to respond to the Hawkes advance as the world No24 from New Zealand gained the upper hand in games three and four.

But the plucky Lincolnshire lass fought back in the fourth to save game-balls at 6-8, 8-9 and 9-9 before finally winning her second match-ball - converting it with the luckiest shot of the match!

"I felt fine in the first two games, but as soon as I soon as I started to run around in the third, the infection kicked in and I just couldn't breathe.  My legs and arms felt dead - you can't think straight when all you're trying to do is breathe!" said world No4 Bailey.

"I've had sinus problems all my life - I've had it all, including three operations and laser treatment, but I still can't shake it off.  I feel fine in everyday life, but you never know how you're going to feel on court.  I feel as if I'm as good as anyone, but this lets me down.  I'll have to take it easy tonight and hope that I'll be fine tomorrow."

Bailey was joined in the last sixteen by all four England team-mates - Vicky Botwright, the sixth seed; Jenny Duncalf, the ninth seed; Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, the 11^th seed and 12^th seed Alison Waters.  Indeed Bailey faces Lancashire's Lengthorn-Massaro for a place in the quarter-finals after the 23-year-old from Preston beat Italian qualifier Manuela Manetta 9-4, 9-3, 9-7.

Botwright and Duncalf will line up in another all-English second round encounter after Manchester-based Botwright despatched Malaysia's Sharon Wee 9-2, 9-5, 9-2 in 26 minutes and Duncalf, from Harrogate in Yorkshire, recovered from a game down to beat seven times US champion Latasha Khan 6-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-0 in 56 minutes.

"I knew it would be tough - Latasha's a good player and if you give her time on the ball, she'll cut it away," said the 24-year-old British National champion.  "I felt comfortable towards the end, but I had to be patient.  We'd all rather play on the all-glass court - so I'm sure there'll be some gruelling matches here (at Club Palestra) tomorrow.

"The last time I played Vicky she beat me in the British Open - but I won the time before, so I'm sure it'll be a good match."

It only took former World Open champion Vanessa Atkinson 17 minutes to earn a place in the second round of the sport's biggest-ever women's event when she beat Spanish wild card player Alicia Alvarez Riaza 9-0, 9-0, 9-1.

"Because the courts are so bouncy, I was able to get a good run-around - which was ideal for a first round match really," said Atkinson, the No8 seed from the Netherlands who won the title in 2004.  "But it was amazing that we finished our match at the same time they finished the first game on the next court! 

"I'm feeling good - my training's going well and I'm injury-free.  And I'm happy with the way I'm playing.  Nowadays, because of my relationship with James (Willstrop), I'm spending more time in England, in Yorkshire - which is great for my game.  Whereas in Holland, I have to plan practice sessions with other players, there are so many players I can hit with at Pontefract - it may be girls like Kirsty McPhee or Lauren Siddall, or guys like Lee Beachill, Saurav Ghosal and of course James.  And the atmosphere at the club is fantastic."

Alicia Alvarez Riaza, a 21-year-old from Madrid, was making her maiden appearance in the world championship - and knew she was not expected to win:  "I felt very good - I know Vanessa is a very good player, and it's very difficult to play at that level.  Technically, she plays at a very high standard and she's very fit and physically well-prepared. 

"I didn't expect to win, but playing in my first World Championship was a fantastic experience.  I was determined not to let the pressure get to me - I wanted to make sure I enjoyed myself."

Only an hour after being reunited with the bag which contained her racquets, squash kit and make-up, fifth seed Natalie Grainger recorded a 9-6, 9-0, 9-3 win over Mexican number one Samantha Teran.  The bag had failed to materialise on her arrival at Madrid airport two days earlier from Luton in England.

"Thanks to Jenny Tranfield, whose colleague coaches the Managing Director of Luton Airport, the whole airport was searched today for my missing bag - and finally they assured me it was definitely in Madrid!  How could it have gone missing on a direct flight from Luton to Madrid? 

"I finally got the bag at about 5.00pm and was here at the club for my match at six.  I'd had to borrow a racquet for my practice session this morning - so when I got on court for the match with my own 'Harrow Natalie Grainger' racquet, it felt a bit heavy - and it took me at least the first game to get used to it! 

"I couldn't find my length in the first game and made lots of errors.  But I think I can relax now - I've been on edge since I arrived - but it's done now:  Onwards and upwards!"

Nicol David, the world number one from Malaysia who is seeded to win her third world title in a row, eased to a 9-7, 9-3, 9-0 win over France's Isabelle Stoehr in 39 minutes.

"I think these courts may be even faster than the ones at home - but I haven't played on courts like these for a while," said the 24-year-old defending champion from Penang who is expected to win her seventh WISPA World Tour title of the year. 

"It took me a game and a half to get used to the bounce.  Isabelle took the ball well and had a good start.  I had to really hang in there until she started making a few errors and I then took my chance.  Isabelle is a tough player to play - I'm glad I pulled it off. 

"Once I get the timing right, I can hit the ball hard - but perhaps these courts make it sound harder than it is.  It's great to have my parents here - and my sister and her boyfriend arrive later in the week, so it's going to be happy families!"

22-Oct, Qualifying Finals:

Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Tricia Chuah (Mas)      9/1, 9/6, 9/6 (34m) plays Waters
Manuela Manetta (Ita) bt Laura Mylotte (Irl)        9/4, 9/6, 9/1 (34m) plays Lengthorn-Massaro
Orla Noom (Ned) bt Sarah Kippax (Eng)             9/3, 9/6, 4/9, 1/9, 9/3 (61m) plays Abdel Kawy
Louise Crome (Nzl) bt Laura Hill (Eng)                9/6, 6/9, 9/6, 3/9, 9/0 (88m) plays R. Grinham
Runa Reta (Can) bt Elise Ng (Hkg)                     0/9, 9/4, 9/4, 9/3 (71m) plays Kheirallah
Aisling Blake (Irl) bt Carolyn Russell (Can)         9/0, 5/0, 7/9, 9/7, 9/2 (72m) plays Brown
Line Hansen (Den) bt Margriet Huisman (Ned)     9/2, 9/7, 9/3 (56m)  plays Chiu
Lauren Briggs (Eng) bt Carla Khan (Pak)            7/9, 9/7, 9/3, 9/2 (55m)  plays Kitchen

Qualifying finals report
 

22-Oct, Qualifying Finals:

Tough Battles Resolve World Open
Qualifiers In Madrid

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."
 

21-Oct, 1st qualifying round:

Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Laura Alonso Perez (ESP) 9-2, 9-2, 9-0 (25m)

Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) bt Dagmar Vermeulen (NED) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0 (18m)

Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Celia Allamargot (FRA) 9-0, 5-9, 9-1, 9-2 (27m)

Orla Noom (NED) bt Georgina Stoker (ENG) 9-3, 9-6, 6-9, 9-5 (52m)

Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt Lucie Fialova (CZE) 6-9, 9-0, 9-2, 9-3 (48m)

Laura Mylotte (IRL) bt Birgit Coufal (AUT) 9-5, 9-3, 9-3 (21m)

Louise Crome (NZL) bt Karina Herrera Zuniga (MEX) 9-2, 9-5, 9-3 (27m)

Laura Hill (ENG) bt Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0 (22m)

Elise Ng (HKG) bt Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO) 3-9, 9-6, 9-0, 9-4 (53m)

Runa Reta (CAN) bt Camille Serme (FRA) 9-0, 9-3, 6-9, 9-1 (44m)

Margriet Huisman (NED) bt Lauren Selby (ENG) 9-6, 9-0, 9-0 (28m)

Line Hansen (DEN) bt Kerri Shields (IRL) 9-2, 9-1, 9-0 (23m)

Carolyn Russell (CAN) bt Elisabet Sado Garriga (ESP) 7-9, 9-1, 9-2, 9-0 (36m)

Aisling Blake (IRL) bt Xisela Aranda Nunez (ESP) 9-0, 9-4, 9-1 (22m)

Carla Khan (PAK) bt Soraya Renai (FRA) 9-5, 9-3, 9-0 (29m)

Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Karen Kronemeyer (NED) 9-4, 9-2, 9-10, 9-1 (50m)

Spaniards Halted, But Uplifted,
In World Open Qualifiers

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