Kawy Upsets Grainger in Qatar
Feb 25, 2004 © 2004 by Howard Harding

Grainger Suffers As Kawy Capitalises In Qatar [complete draw]

Natalie Grainger (foreground) struggled against Omneya Abdel Kawy photo © 2004 Fritz Borchert

The combination of a urinary \ infection and flu took its toll on top seed Natalie Grainger today (Wednesday) in Qatar's capital city of Doha when she crashed out of the Women's Qatar Airways Squash Challenge. The world No2 from the USA went down 0-9 9-2 8-10 9-7 9-0 in 43 minutes in the second round to 15th seed Omneya Abdel Kawy, the world junior champion from Egypt.

The 26-year-old from Washington DC spent four hours in hospital in Doha after her first round match yesterday, when she was treated with antibiotics.

Clearly lacking strength, Grainger fought back from 8/1 down in the third to win the game, then from 6/1 down in fourth to go 7/6 up. She lost that, but then had nothing left in the fifth!

Top seed in next week's Washington Summit in her hometown, Natalie told organisers: "I'm rushing home to recuperate as I don't want to be beaten at home next week." The favourite expressed her gratitude to event sponsors Qatar Airways, who were able get the US squash star onto a flight leaving on Thursday, rather than Sunday.

Kawy will now meet Fiona Geaves in the quarter-finals after the eighth-seeded English veteran scrambled back from 0/2 down to overcome French champion Isabelle Stoehr 7-9 5-9 9-7 10-8 10-8 in 62 minutes.

"I played brainless squash to go 8/1 down in the last, but when it was the last chance I played better," said Geaves. "The whole thing was really bizarre!"

New Zealand's unseeded Shelley Kitchen started well against England's second seed Cassie Jackman. At seven-all in the first game, the world No1 from Norfolk made a couple of mistakes under pressure. After losing the game, Jackman settled and dictated the pace, keeping Kitchen in the back corners and eventually winning 7-9 9-1 9-1 9-2 in 42 minutes.

RESULTS: Women's Qatar Airways Squash Challenge, Doha, Qatar

2nd round:
[15] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [1] Natalie Grainger (USA) 0-9, 9-2, 8-10, 9-7, 9-0 (43m)
[8] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt [13] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 7-9, 5-9, 9-7, 10-8, 10-8 (62m)
[4] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [16] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 9-4, 9-1, 9-3 (31m)
[7] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-6, 6-9, 9-4, 9-2 (63m)
[6] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [9] Nicol David (MAS) 9-2, 9-1, 9-6 (31m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 (25m)
[5] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [14] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-5, 9-3, 9-1 (34m)
[2] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 7-9, 9-1, 9-1, 9-2 (42m)

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