New Zealand Shines in Doubles
Dec 14, 2004, by Howard Harding; SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2004;

Quick and Crombie Qualify
Australia & New Zealand Shine In Chennai World Doubles

Australia and New Zealand pairings led the way to success on today's (Tuesday) final day of qualifying action in the World Doubles Squash Championships in Chennai, India.

Australian British Open champions David Palmer and Rachael Grinham, ranked four and one in the world, respectively, partnered each other in the Mixed Doubles - winning Pool A - then joined up with Anthony Ricketts and Natalie Grinham, respectively, to top their pools in the Men's and Women's Doubles events, without conceding any games along the way.

Palmer and Ricketts, favourites in the Men's event, are joined by two other Australian double acts in the knockout stages - 3/4 seeds Dan Jenson and Cameron Pilley comfortably came through to win Pool D, while 5/8 seeds Byron Davis and Cameron White, upset Pakistan's 3/4 seeds Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman in the final match to unexpectedly clinch top spot in Pool C.

The failure of second-seeded Malaysian pairing Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee to win any of their qualifying matches has led USA's 5/8 seeds Jamie Crombie and Preston Quick to succeed in Pool B.

While the Grinham sisters topped Pool A in the Women's event, the other pool was won by New Zealand's 5/8 seeds Louise Crome and Lara Petera, who added to their first round upset over second seeds Tricia Chuah and Nicol David, of Malaysia, by winning both their remaining matches today.

As in the Men's event, Australians were successful in three of the four pools in the Mixed tournament. Top seeds Grinham and Palmer are joined by 3/4 seeds Natalie Grinham and Dan Jenson, and 5/8 seeds Dianne Desira and Cameron White - while the fourth winners' place is taken by the second-seeded New Zealand duo Shelley Kitchen and Glen Wilson.

RESULTS: World Doubles Squash Championships, Chennai, India

Final qualifying round - Men's Doubles:
Pool A:
[5/8] Ritwik Bhattacharya & Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Paul Atkinson & Michael Tootill (RSA)
9-5, 9-3, 9-5 (36m)
Paul Atkinson & Michael Tootill (RSA) bt Vivian Rhamanan & Mohd Rizal (SIN)
w/o
[1] David Palmer & Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt [5/8] Ritwik Bhattacharya & Saurav Ghosal (IND)
9-6, 9-4, 9-4 (21m)
Pool B:
[5/8] Jamie Crombie & Preston Quick (USA) bt Naishadh Lalwani & Rushabh Vora (IND)
9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (20m)
Wai Hang Wong & Roger Ngan (HKG) bt [2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
7-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-6 (49m)
Naishadh Lalwani & Rushabh Vora (IND) bt [2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar & Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
9-3, ret. (5m)
[5/8] Jamie Crombie & Preston Quick (USA) bt Wai Hang Wong & Roger Ngan (HKG)
11-9, 4-9, 9-3, 6-9, 9-5 (82m)
Pool C:
[5/8] Byron Davis & Cameron White (AUS) bt Raymond Arnold & S Maniam (MAS)
9-3, 9-5, 9-5 (25m)
[3/4] Mansoor Zaman & Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt Vikas Jangra & Harinder Pal Singh (IND)
9-3, 3-9, 7-9, 9-6, 9-4 (56m)
Vikas Jangra & Harinder Pal Singh (IND) bt Raymond Arnold & S Maniam (MAS)
9-3, 7-9, 9-5, 9-7 (35m)
[5/8] Byron Davis & Cameron White (AUS) bt [3/4] Mansoor Zaman & Shahid Zaman (PAK)
9-3, 7-9, 9-1, 9-2 (61m)
Pool D:
Gaurav Nandrajog & Niraj Shirgaokar (IND) bt Bala Murugan & A Parthiban (IND)
9-7, 9-2, 9-5 (26m)
[5/8] Safeerullah Khan & Farrukh Zaman (PAK) bt Bala Murugan & A Parthiban (IND)
9-7, 7-9, 9-4, 5-9, 9-6 (53m)
[3/4] Dan Jenson & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Gaurav Nandrajog & Niraj Shirgaokar (IND)
9-2, 9-3, 9-3 (18m)

Women's Doubles:
Pool A:
[3/4] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [5/8] Louisa Hall & Latasha Khan (USA)
9-4, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4 (32m)
[1] Natalie Grinham & Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [5/8] Kasey Brown & Melissa Martin (AUS)
9-6, 9-4, 9-6 (29m)
[5/8] Kasey Brown & Melissa Martin (AUS) bt [5/8] Louisa Hall & Latasha Khan (USA)
11-10, 9-7, 9-7 (35m)
Pool B:
[2] Tricia Chuah & Nicol David (MAS) bt [5/8] Diana Argyll & Angelique Clifton-Parks (RSA)
9-1, 9-5, 6-9, 9-2 (27m)
[5/8] Louise Crome & Lara Petera (NZL) bt [3/4] Heidi Mather & Amelia Pittock (AUS)
9-4, 5-9, 9-3, 11-8 (41m)
[5/8] Louise Crome & Lara Petera (NZL) bt [5/8] Diana Argyll & Angelique Clifton-Parks (RSA)
9-4, 9-4, 9-5 (16m)
[2] Tricia Chuah & Nicol David (MAS) bt [3/4] Heidi Mather & Amelia Pittock (AUS)
6-9, 9-5, 5-9, 9-6, 9-0 (47m)

Mixed Doubles:
Pool A:
[1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bt [5/8] Angelique Clifton-Parks & Michael Tootill (RSA)
9-3, 9-3, 11-8 (19m)
[1] Rachael Grinham & David Palmer (AUS) bt Lara Petera & Callum O'Brien (NZL)
9-6, 9-3, 9-3 (35m)
Pool B:
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt Joshna Chinappa & Saurav Ghosal (IND)
9-2, 9-8, 6-9, 9-4 (34m)
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt [5/8] Latasha Khan & Jamie Crombie (USA)
9-6, 9-4, 9-7 (22m)
Pool C:
[5/8] Dianne Desira & Cameron White (AUS) bt Rebecca Chiu & Faheem Khan (HKG)
11-9, 9-2, 9-4 (44m)
[3/4] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Louisa Hall & Preston Quick (USA)
9-5, 9-3, 11-10 (28m)
Rebecca Chiu & Faheem Khan (HKG) bt Louisa Hall & Preston Quick (USA)
9-6, 9-1, 9-4 (16m)
[5/8] Dianne Desira & Cameron White (AUS) bt [3/4] Nicol David & Ong Beng Hee (MAS)
7-9, 11-10, 9-4, 6-9, 9-8 (89m)
Pool D
[3/4] Natalie Grinham & Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Diana Argyll & Paul Atkinson (RSA)
7-9, 11-8, 9-3, 9-5 (35m)
[3/4] Natalie Grinham & Dan Jenson (AUS) bt [5/8] Tricia Chuah & Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
9-1, 9-6, 11-8 (26m)

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