SquashTalk>Women's World Open >Womens World third round

[last update was 13-nov-00 ]

Third round: Botwright gains upset win

11.13.00 by Howard Harding for WSF

Eye Group Women's World Open Squash Championship, Edinburgh, Scotland

SCOTLAND'S NIMMO SURVIVES WORLD OPEN OPENER
Scotland's Pamela Nimmo world No18 overcame a nervous start in her opening match in the Eye Group Women's World Open Squash Championship to beat her New Zealand opponent Shelley Kitchen 7-9 9-4 9-4 10-8 at the National Squash Centre at Heriot-Watt University in her hometown Edinburgh.

The 43-minute victory takes the 23-year-old through to the last sixteen, when the event moves onto the all-glass court at the city's Meadowbank stadium.

"I'm so glad to get that first match behind me," said Nimmo, the Scottish champion whose world top ten ranked boyfriend Del Harris was offering courtside support having flown into Edinburgh from the Florida Open in the USA.

"I was quite nervous in the first game, but I can now look forward to the next round on the all-glass court at Meadowbank."

BOTWRIGHT SCORES UPSET
England's Vicky Botwright produced the first seeding upset in the third round when she dismissed South Africa's 14th seed Claire Nitch 9-3 9-6 9-1 in 25 minutes. "I've never beaten Claire before, and when we last met in September's Singapore Open semi-finals I lost after being two-love up - I was determined not to repeat that mistake," said the 23-year-old world No23 from Manchester, who is already due to win the biggest purse of her career.

GRAINGER DODGES A BULLET
Manchester-born Natalie Grainger, the third seed, was made to work hard for her 10-8 9-7 1-9 9-0 victory in 41 minutes over Denmark's Ellen Petersen. "I am so excited to be here, having really worked hard on court since a disappointing show in last month's British Open," said the English 23-year-old, who was brought up in South Africa and now lives in St Louis, in Missouri, USA.

"I'm now much more focussed on squash than I was, and am looking forward to a good run here in Edinburgh."

Top seed Leilani Joyce, the world No1 from Hamilton in New Zealand, took her anticipated place in the last sixteen after a 9-2 9-5 9-1 win in 23 minutes over Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy - but was full of praise of the youngster who, at 15, is the youngest ever player to compete in the World Open. "She is awesome - so strong and such a well-balanced player for her age," said the 26-year-old British champion. "In many ways I was embarrassed by the skill level she demonstrated in tonight's match."

For the latest results go to www.squashtalk.com/womensworld

RESULTS: Eye Group Women's World Open Squash Championship, Edinburgh, Scotland

3rd round:
[2] Carol Owens (AUS) bt Janie Thacker (ENG) 9-0 9-1 9-4
Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [14] Claire Nitch (RSA) 9-3 9-6 9-1
[5] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Senga Macfie (SCO) 9-6 1-9 9-3 9-6
[12] Sabine Schoene (GER) bt Annelize Naude (RSA) 10-8 9-4 9-7
[4] Linda Charman (ENG) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-1 9-4 9-6
[16] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 7-9 9-4 9-4 10-8
[7] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt Liz Irving (AUS) 9-3 9-0 9-3
[15] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt Elin Blikra (NOR) 9-4 9-0 9-2
[10] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-5 9-0 9-4
[8] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-1 10-8 9-0
[11] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Salma Shabana (EGY) 9-4 9-0 9-1
[3] Natalie Grainger (ENG) bt Ellen Petersen (DEN) 10-8 9-7 1-9 9-0
[13] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4 9-2 9-7
[6] Suzanne Horner (ENG) bt Maha Zein (EGY) 9-4 9-5 9-2
[9] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-1 9-2 9-3
[1] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-2 9-5 9-1