Semi-final report: Grainger extends Martin but falls short
Australia's world No1 Michelle Martin and England's world champion Cassie Campion will meet in the final of the $36,000 Women's US Squash Open in Hartford, Connecticut, in a repeat of last week's World Open final in Seattle.
Top seed Martin, 32, from Sydney, was taken the full distance by England's world No4 Natalie Grainger before winning 9/6 8/10 9/5 7/9 9/2. In the other semi-final, fourth seed Campion, ranked five in the world, overcame New Zealand's second seed Leilani Joyce 9/7 9/3 3/9 9/1.
Quarter-final report: Campion tested fully by Owens
In her first serious test since becoming World Open champion, England's Cassie Campion was taken the full distance by Australia's world No10 Carol Owens in the quarter-finals of the $36,000 Women's US Squash Open in Hartford, Connecticut.
Campion, the fourth seed who is ranked five in the world, looked to be heading for a comfortable straight games win as she forged a 2-0 lead. The 28-year-old from Melbourne, however, fought back to take the next two games (the fourth in a whitewash) before the Yorkshire-based 26-year-old from Norfolk re-asserted her authority to clinch the match 10/9 9/5 4/9 0/9 9/6.
In a repeat of their World Open semi-final in Seattle last week, Campion now meets second seed Leilani Joyce, the 25-year-old from Hamilton who had a straightforward 9/1 9/5 9/7 win over Germany's 8th seed Sabine Schoene.
The other semi-final will also replicate the other last four pairing in Seattle - with Australia's world No1 and favourite Michelle Martin taking on England's world No4 Natalie Grainger. Beaten World Open finalist Martin, 32, from Sydney, comfortably overcame England's Linda Charman 9/6 9/1 9/2, while 22-year-old Nottingham-based Grainger twice had to come back from behind before defeating Dutch qualifier Vanessa Atkinson 8/10 9/1 6/9 9/1 9/1.
First round report: Atkinson upsets Horner
England's Cassie Campion won her first match since becoming World Open champion for the first time last week when she beat compatriot Tania Bailey 9/4 9/3 9/4 in the opening round of the $36,000 Women's US Squash Open in Connecticut, USA.
Bailey, the 20-year-old former world junior champion from Lincolnshire, had to qualify for the event despite reaching the quarter-finals of the World Open in Seattle.
Germany's 8th seed Sabine Schoene, one of Bailey's seeded conquests last week, struggled to overcome South Africa's Claire Nitch 9/5 4/9 9/6 3/9 9/2 - and now faces second seed Leilani Joyce, the world No3 from New Zealand, who had to fight back from two games down to beat Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik 7/9 6/9 9/2 9/1 9/2.
Dutch qualifier Vanessa Atkinson caused the only upset in the first round in Hartford when she toppled England's fifth seed Suzanne Horner 9/7 9/2 9/7.
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