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Semifinals
Carol Owens and Natalie Pohrer will face off in final
By Dallas Squash Racquets Association Press © 2003 SquashTalk; all rights of reproduction reserved.
March 29, 2003  [Full draw]

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Natalie Grinham (left) and Carol Owens ©2003 Debra Tessier

World ranked No.1 Carol Owens will play No.2 Natalie Pohrer in the finals at Women's Texas Open Squash Championship in Dallas at 1:30 p.m. (time moved up due to sun on the court) on Sunday at the Plaza of the Americas Atrium Ice Rink.

During the first semifinal, Australia's Natalie Grinham was too often stretching to reach Carol Owens volleys that were arrowed to the back corners. At other times she was left flailing as her higher balls were taken overhead and sent low over the tin. Neither player was afraid of going in short with both so quick to the front wall, but Grinham was not as steady as she had been against her sister, Rachael Grinham, the night before.

Grinham's backhand cross court drops feathered from the back of the court and some delightful straight drops were too infrequent to enable her to mount a serious challenge.

"I left it all behind yesterday," Grinham said.

"Thankfully Natalie started nervously because she is very tough and is lethal when her drops go up," said Owens, No.1 from New Zealand.

Vanessa Atkinson(front) and Natalie Pohrer ©2003 Debra Tessier

Pohrer was even more at sea in the fourth, peppering the tin and giving away strokes as Atkinson raced to a 7/1 lead and then closed out as two more Pohrer errors followed. Pohrer looked completely gone.

Yet USA's No.2 Pohrer has been one for the fifth game (Qatar in the Worlds, and last night) and was again here. The poise was back and the score rattled along in her favor as she dominated the rallies cutting off the Atkinson ripostes.

Atkinson, who was pleased to reach a semi after an early exit from the TOC with food poisoning was disappointed that having begun to get into the match couldn't cope. "I thought I had her and I gave it away," Atkinson, No.5 seed said.

"Vanessa changed the pace and I stopped playing my game," Pohrer said. "She raised her game and didn't think the match was over. I did, too early!"

RESULTS: Women's Texas Open Squash Championship, Dallas, USA

Quarter-finals:
[1] Carol Owens beat Natalie Grinham 9-2, 9-2, 9-5 (34 mins)
[2] Natalie Pohrer beat [5] Vanessa Atkinson 9-3, 9-1, 7-9, 2-9, 9-1 (45 mins)

Natalie Grinham(left) stretched by #1 Carol Owens ©2003 Debra Tessier

WISPA Women go Texan-( l to r )Natalie Grinham, Stephanie Brind, Vanessa Atkinson, Jenny Tranfield, Sharon Wee, Nicol David ©2003 WISPA

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