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CONNECTICUT, Jan 19: Top-seeded Australian Natalie Grinham reached her second successive WISPA World Tour final in a week, but only after clambering back from 2-0 down against Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik in the semifinals of the Forbes Women’s Southport Squash Open on Saturday.
Malik, back on the circuit after a near three-year layoff with a mystery virus, despatched her second seeded opponent in the event when she beat New Zealander Shelley Kitchen, the fourth seed, in straight games in the quarterfinals.
The brave Welsh champion, just three days away from her 28th birthday, took the opening two games against Grinham, winner of last week’s Apawamis Open in New York, before the favourite, reasserted her authority to register a 5-9 8-10 9-2 9-5 9-3 victory.
In the final, Grinham will meet England’s third seed Vicky Botwright, who enjoyed a confidence-boosting upset over her second-seeded compatriot Stephanie Brind ahead of next month’s British National championships.
Botwright, the world No. 18 from Manchester, beat Brind, ranked six places higher, 9-7 9-7 4-9 9-4 to celebrate her first appearance in a WISPA final.
Results (number denotes seedings):
Quarterfinals:
1-Natalie Grinham (Aus) bt q-Melanie Jans (Can) 9-4, 9-3, 9-2; q-Tegwen Malik (Wal) bt 4-Shelley Kitchen (Nzl) 9-4, 9-4, 9-1; 3-Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt q-Laura Lengthorn (ENG) 10-8, 9-2, 9-5; 2-Stephanie Brind (Eng) bt 7-Salma Shabana (Egy) 3-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-6
Semifinals: 1-Natalie Grinham (Aus) bt q-Tegwen Malik (Wal) 5-9, 8-10, 9-2, 9-5, 9-3; 3-Vicky Botwright (Eng) bt 2-Stephanie Brind (Eng) 9-7, 9-7, 4-9, 9-4.—WSF
