Madrid Women's World Open Squash 2007

MARTIN BRONSTEIN REPORTING FROM MADRID SPAIN
QUARTERS OCTOBER 25

GRAINGER SINKS KITCHEN

As marvellous as yesterday was for Shelley Kitchen – knocking out the world number one- today was the complete reverse. From a hot court yesterday on which the ball never died, which suited her game beautifully, to a cold court today, which Natalie Grainger, the US number one, exploited to the fullest extent. Grainger has always been a shooter and this court was built for her. From the very beginning she had complete control of the match and her favourite shot, the volley drop to either corner was working like a dreamer. You almost had to feel sorry for Kitchen who could do absolutely nothing to turn the tide. Even when she was allowed to crack the ball to the back, Grainger sooner found her way on to the T and dominate proceedings.

There really is no more to say: the score was 9-2, 9-1, 9-0 which, the referee records, took 23 minutes. He was generous. My timing said 21 minutes.

Grainger was feeling good and claims she now feels she is getting close to the top three players.

“I haven’t lost to anybody except the top three players in the last year. I took Nicol David to five games in the British Open and Rachael (Grinham) to five games at Vassar. So I feel that I can now give them all a run,” she said. And based on her performance tonight, there is no argument from this writer.

BAILEY BREATHES EASIER ON WAY TO SEMI-FINALS

It was the sort of start that every player dreams of – taking the first game 9-0 in one hand. It was the sort of start that no-one would have dreamt happening in a semi-final, but Tania Bailey came out ready for battle while Vanessa Atkinson was mentally still warming up. Wallop,bang, smack and Bailey had the first game inside four minutes. Atkinson had not even had a chance to serve.

Fortunately the first game had served as a warm-up and Atkinson took charge from the opening rally of the second game to run to a 5-1 lead. She was constantly aiming for the front left corner with drops and volleys, obviously aware that Baily had breathing problems and hoping to wear her out. This was great attacking squash with neither player interested in left-wall rallies, or seeing who could hit the ball harder to length. Baily had shown in the first game she could hit fine attacking shots, so she certainly held her own in that area. Atkinson however was just a little too keen for go for the winners and the errors started mounting; her lead gradually leaked away until Bailey took a 6-5 lead and looking anything but breathless.

But then Atkinson’s adventure paid off again and three winners took her to 8-6 and game ball. The next rally displayed just how breathtaking can be and both players showed a skill and invention that was pure delight to watch, ending with Bailey hitting a fine drop to get to 7-8. Atkinson’s was too impatient in trying to hit the serve into the nick, hitting the tin and forcing a tie-break. Bailey was cruelly denied a let to end the next rally and Atkinson had service again. A forehand crosscourt caught Bailey napping and Atkinson once more served for the game and once more spoiled her chance by hitting a forehand volley drop into the tin. Bailey pulled level to 9-9, but Atkinson got hand in to serve again for the game and once more hit the tin with an ill-advised backhand boast. Bailey hit a winner to take the game 10-9 and go two up.

The third game still featured good attacking squash and was tight all the way to 5-5 which was when Bailey seemed to show signs of fatigue with three week erros to put Atkinson at game ball at 8-5. But again she fought back to 7-8 and would have tied the game had she not been denied a let – another decision I found puzzling. The referee was sited way back behind the back wall while I was sitting five feet from the front wall. I’m sure had he been sitting in my position, he would have given Bailey the let. [I know I have written the preceding sentence many times before, but I shall keep making the point until common sense rules at tournaments that have a glass court .]

Atkinson made sure of the game with a great - unexpected – backhand drop to deny Bailey a clean sweep and promise a turnaround.

The expected fatigue of Bailey never materialised and Atkinson could not contain her desire to hit winners and so the fourth game slipped away from her as Bailey steadily progressed to a 9-4 decision.

Bailey deserved the victory because the quality of her squash never dropped. She had played with determination, intelligence and verve; when she does regain her full health she will be a formidable opponent to anybody on the circuit.

She told the press that she really hadn’t much hope in coming to Madrid.

“When I got this infection I thought it had spoiled my chances so I am really very happy to be in the semis. Probably that’s why I was very relaxed tonight – I put no pressure on myself. I knew that glass court rewards good shots which is why I was going for my shots from the beginning. It also meant the rallies were shorter so there was not so much pressure on my breathing.”

She now faces Natalie Grinham in the semis and could well pull a huge upset by reaching the final – she certainly has the game to bring such an upset off.

OMNEYA GOOD FOR ONE GAME –NATALIE GOOD FOR THE MATCH

From the hot humid courts of the Palestra club to the very cool outdoor court near the Palacio Real is a large jump and everybody knew that this court and the cool temperature would suit the shotmaker, which is why the eyes were all on Omneya Abdel Kawy in her match against Natalie Grinham. And true enough the talented Egyptian used her skills to catch Grinham cold and waved her wonderful racket at the ball to make it disappear down the nick. Well, that is a little exaggerated but she does give that impression sometimes. She won the first game 9-4 and we wondered yet again whether she could keep it up. Sadly the answer was no. Grinham was expecting all the Kawy tricks now and she was playing far better than she did in the first game. The rallies were short and Grinham led from the start to win 9-2 after a flurry of errors from Kawy. The third was even shorter as Kawy did her now-famous vanishing act – there seemed to be no-one on court with Grinham in the third game which was over 9-0 in Grinham’s favour in four minutes. Kawy found herself in the fourth game to put up a real fight but she was not going to outplay Grinham again and she was not going to match her determination. Grinham won 9-4 to end the 43 minute match and make her way to the semi-final with a possible meeting with her sister Rachael in the final.

IT’S MARVELLOUS WHAT NINE DAYS IN AMSTERDAM CAN DO FOR A GIRL’S GAME.

Rachael Grinham tossed aside Jenny Duncalf with comparative ease to reach her semi-final place. The well-drilled English player simply had no way of dealing with the elder Grinham’s control and placement and it was all over in 29 minutes. The cold court was a help to Grinham whose soft drops were even hard to pick up than usual and Duncalf spent a lot of time watching a ball that ended up on the other side of the court.

“ I adapted to the court fast that Jenny did,” Rachael said after the game. When asked why she was playing so well she said that she did some decent training before the British Open.

“My training in Cairo had not been well planned. All my training partners are getting older, so I spent nine days in Amsterdam working with Natalie. We concentrated on different parts of the game and it was a lot of help,” [Sounds marvellous to me: maybe the Rachael Grinham Nine Day Wonder Training program could be a big seller in the not too distant future.]

She added that she wouldn’t mind being number one again but she’s been there, done that. What she really wants is to win a World Open, the one title that has eluded her in her long career.

RESULTS: Madrid Women's World Open Squash Championship, Jardines del Cabo Noval, Palacio Real, Madrid, Spain

Quarter-finals:
[5] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [10] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-2, 9-1, 9-0 (23m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [9] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-3, 9-2, 9-1 (29m)
[4] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [8] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-0, 10-9, 7-9, 9-4 (49m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [7] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 4-9, 9-2, 9-0, 9-4 (44m)

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