Rachael Grinham and Kasey Brown have started 2011 where they left off in December with first round wins in the season-opening Greenwich Open squash tournament in New York. Grinham and Brown were part of the Australian team that won the Womem's World Teams Championship in New Zealand in early December alongside Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Donna Urquhart. The pair both enjoyed good starts to the Greenwich Open. Amsterdam-based Queenslander Grinham beat Ireland's Aisling Blake in three tight games 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 while Brown, who is based in New York, downed Italian qualifier Manuela Manetta 11-7, 11-4, 11-7. Grinham now takes on up and coming New Zealand star Joelle King and Brown faces sixth seeded Egyptian Raneem El Weleily.
18-23 Jan Harrow Greenwich Open Greenwich, USA $37450
28-2 Feb Cleveland Racket Classic Cleveland, USA $55800
15-20 Mar CIMB KL Open 2011 KL, Malaysia $53500
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 January 2011 17:47 )
World Women's Teams Final Aus defeats England
Written by Squash Australia
Tuesday, 07 December 2010 02:59
World Women's Championships Finals Day - AUSTRALIA WINS
04 Dec 2010 - Squash Australia
Australia and England battled for the 2010 Women's World Team Squash Championship title in Palmerston North, New Zealand today, with Australia winning the Championships!
The result was a hard fought 2/1 win over top seed England with the superior Australian depth driving the result.
The playing order was 3-1-2, the same as the semi finals.
Sarah Fitz-Gerald opened the tie, played assertively and overpowered Sarah Kippax in straight games to put Australia one up in the tie.
Rachael Grinham and English number 1 Jenny Duncalf took to the court, Grinham aiming to win the title and Duncalf looking to keep England in the tie, Duncalf kept the match well in control except for a brief window in the third game when the Aussie led to 9, before the Duncalf closed the game and match. Sending the final into a decider between Kasey Brown and Laura Massaro.
Kasey Brown and Englishwomen Laura Massaro then took to the court to determine the Championship. As she has done in the World Individuals and Commonwealth Games Brown showed a steely resolve and determindly worked her way to a 3/1 victory over Massaro giving Australia the World Championship.
Australia [2] defeated England [1] 2/1
Sarah Fitz-Gerald def Sarah Kippax 3/0, 11/4, 11/4, 11/4 Jenny Duncalf def Rachael Grinham 3/0, 11/7, 11/4, 11/9 Kasey Brown def Laura Massaro 3/1, 11/6, 11/9, 8/11, 11/8
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 January 2011 22:10 )
World Women's Teams Semi Aus defeats Malaysia
Written by Squash Australia
Tuesday, 07 December 2010 02:58
World Women's Championships Day 5 - Australia defeat Malaysia
03 Dec 2010 - Squash Australia
Australia is through to the Gold Medal match of the 2010 Women's World Team Squash Championships in Palmerston North, New Zealand where they will play England.
While the semi final result was a 2/1 win over fourth seed Malayia, the superior Australian depth meant the result was never in doubt.
Sarah Fitz-Gerald, powered to a straight games win over Sharon Wee.
Rachael Grinham then had the unenviable task of taking on world champion Nicol David who is in career best form defeating the Aussie 3/0.
Kasey Brown then showed why she is rising star of World squash notching up a clear cut 11-7, 11-3, 12-10 win over Delia Arnold.
Australia now look forward to the Final tomorrow against England at 4:00pm local time.
Australia [2] defeated Malaysia [4] 2/1
Sarah Fitz-Gerald def Sharon Wee Ei Lin 3/0, 11/4, 13/11, 11/7 Nicol David def Rachael Grinham 3/0, 11/8, 11/5, 11/5 Kasey Brown def Delia Arnold 3/0, 11/7, 11/3, 12/10
World Women's Teams Quarters Aus defeats USA
Written by Squash Australia
Tuesday, 07 December 2010 02:56
World Women's Championships Day 4 - Australia defeat USA
02 Dec 2010 - Squash Australia
Australia is the first team through to the semi-finals at the 2010 Women's World Team Squash Championships in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The playing order for the match was 2-1-3 with Donna Urquhart being rested.
However, the second seeds have had to work hard for the berth in the last four, edging to a 2-1 win over Malaysia.
Kasey Brown notched up a quick 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 win over Latasha Khan to give Australia a 1-0 lead, but there was nothing straight forward about the second match between Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grainger. Grinham has won the last 11 matches between the two players on the WISPA world tour, but Grainger turned the tables today, fighting back from 2-0 down in a thrilling 7-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 victory.
It proved to be a mere bump in the road for the Australians though, as five times World Champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who turned 40 yesterday, powered to an 11-4, 11-1, 11-2 victory over 17year-old Olivia Blatchford. Australia now look forward to the Semi Finals tomorrow which will be decided later on this afternoon between Egypt and Malaysia who square off at 7:00pm local time.
