Forbes Southport Open 2003
16-19 Jan 2003, Southport, USA, $11k


Final:
Natalie Grinham bt Vicky Botwright    9/1, 2/9, 9/6, 9/1

GRINHAM DOUBLES
UP IN SOUTHPORT

Just six days after claiming her maiden squash title on the WISPA World Tour, Australian Natalie Grinham has secured her second!  The 24-year-old from Toowoomba in Queensland, winner of last week's Apawamis Open in New York, beat England's Vicky Botwright in four games in the final in Connecticut, USA.

Top-seeded Grinham, based in Almere in the Netherlands, reached the final after overcoming a tough test in the semi-finals where she had to fight back from 2-0 down to shake off Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik. Perhaps overawed by her first appearance in a WISPA final, Botwright easily lost the opening game, but refocused in the second to level the match.

After winning the third, the Australian world No11 raced to a 7-0 lead in the fourth which, in the end, was too much for Botwright to close in on. Grinham calmly converted her first match-ball to clinch a notable 9-1 2-9 9-6 9-1 victory and her second title of the year.

 

Natalie's big sister Rachael
is naturally pleased ...

Of course I'm very happy for Nat. It was great for her to win such a big title last week at Apawamis, but to follow it up the next week in Southport with pressure on her was an important step, I think. She's had good results in the past but hasn't necessarily been so consistent with them, so to have 2 consecutive tournament wins is a good sign that she's learning some consistency.

I think she has been underestimated in the past but she's a really hard player to beat when she plays well so if she can keep it up people are gonna be surprised with her results. I think it's just about her believing in herself, and hopefully these tournament wins will boost her confidence and who knows how far she can go then...

Forbes Southport Open 2003  
1st Round
Thu 16th
Quarters
Fri 17th
Semis
Sat 18th
Final
Sun 19th
[1] Natalie Grinham (Aus)
 9-5, 9-0, 9-5
Amelia Pittock (Aus)
Natalie Grinham
9-4, 9-3, 9-2
Melanie Jans
Natalie Grinham

5-9, 8-10, 9-2, 9-5, 9-3

Tegwen Malik

Natalie Grinham
 

9-1, 2-9, 9-6, 9-1
 

Vicky Botwright

 

 

 

 

[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng
10-8, 9-10, 9-3, 2-9, 9-6
[Q] Melanie Jans (Can)
[4] Shelley Kitchen (Nzl)
9-5, 9-0, 9-0
Melissa Martin (Aus)
Shelley Kitchen
9-4, 9-4, 9-1
Tegwen Malik
Shabana Khan (Usa)
9-0, 9-0, 9-1
[Q] Tegwen Malik (Wal)
[8] Wendy Maitland (Sco)
0-9, 9-1, 9-6, 3-9, 9-2
[Q] Laura Lengthorn (ENG)
Laura Lengthorn
10-8, 9-2, 9-5
Vicky Botwright
Vicky Botwright

9-7, 9-7, 4-9, 9-4

Stephanie Brind

[3] Vicky Botwright (Eng)
7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-7
Amelia Pittock (AUS)
[7] Salma Shabana (Egy)
9-6, 9-1, 10-8
Lara Petera (Nzl)
Salma Shabana
3-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-6
Stephanie Brind
[2] Stephanie Brind (Eng)
9-3, 9-6, 9-2
[Q] Rebecca Botwright (ENG)
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RESULTS & Reports

Final:
[1] Natalie Grinham (Aus) bt [3] Vicky Botwright (Eng)  9/1, 2/9, 9/6, 9/1

GRINHAM DOUBLES UP
IN SOUTHPORT
Just six days after claiming her maiden squash title on the WISPA World Tour, Australian Natalie Grinham has secured her second!  The 24-year-old from Toowoomba in Queensland, winner of last week's Apawamis Open in New York, beat England's Vicky Botwright in four games in the final in Connecticut, USA.

Top-seeded Grinham, based in Almere in the Netherlands, reached the final after overcoming a tough test in the semi-finals where she had to fight back from 2-0 down to shake off Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik. Perhaps overawed by her first appearance in a WISPA final, Botwright easily lost the opening game, but refocused in the second to level the match.

After winning the third, the Australian world No11 raced to a 7-0 lead in the fourth which, in the end, was too much for Botwright to close in on. Grinham calmly converted her first match-ball to clinch a notable 9-1 2-9 9-6 9-1 victory and her second title of the year.

Semis:
[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

GRINHAM GOES FOR A DOUBLE
Australia's Natalie Grinham moved into her second WISPA final in a week, ending the qualifying run of Tegwen Malik in the semi-finals of the Forbes Open in Southport. But it was far from easy for the in-form Australian, as Malik took a two-game lead, forcing Grinham to fight back to win in five.

Grinham, the world number 11, will meet Vicky Botwright in the final, after the Lancashire lass scored an upset win over second seed Stephanie Brind.

Grinham won her first WISPA title in Rye last week, and will be looking to double her tally, while Botwright will be seeking her first tour title.

Quarters:
[1]
Natalie Grinham (AUS) beat [Q] Melanie Jans (CAN)  9/4, 9/3, 9/2
[Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) beat [4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL)  9/4, 9/4, 9/1
[3] Vicky Botwright (ENG) beat [Q] Laura Lengthorn (ENG) 10/8, 9/2, 9/5
[2] Stephanie Brind (ENG) beat [7] Salma Shabana (EGY) 3/9, 2/9, 9/7, 9/6, 9/6

MALIK MARCHES INTO SEMIS
Wales' qualifier Tegwen Malik continued her impressive comeback after a three-year injury layoff, beating fourth seed Shelley Kitchen to claim a place in the semi-finals in Southport. Malik faces top seed Natalie Grinham in the semi-finals after last week's Apawamis winner ended the qualifying run of Melanie Jans.

The other semi-final will be an all-English affair, with second seed Stephanie Brind facing third seeded Vicky Botwright. Botwright enjoyed a a 3-0 win over qualifier Laura Lengthorn, but Brind, who had beaten Vicky's sister Rebecca in the first round, had to come from two games down against Egypt's Salma Shabana.

1st round:
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Eman El Amir (EGY) 9-5, 9-0, 9-5
[Q] Melanie Jans (CAN) bt [5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 10-8, 9-10, 9-3, 2-9, 9-6
[4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-5, 9-0, 9-0
[Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) bt Shabana Khan (USA) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1
[Q] Laura Lengthorn (ENG) bt [8] Wendy Maitland (SCO) 0-9, 9-1, 9-6, 3-9, 9-2
[3] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Amelia Pittock (AUS) 7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-7
[7] Salma Shabana (EGY) bt Lara Petera (NZL) 9-6, 9-1, 10-8
[2] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt [Q] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-3, 9-6, 9-2

Qualifiers Flourish In First Forbes Forays
While in-form Australian Natalie Grinham cruised through to her anticipated place in the second round of the Forbes Women's Southport Squash Open in Connecticut, USA, three qualifiers joined the top seed after upsets on the opening day's play of the $11,000 WISPA World Tour event.

Grinham, the world No11 from Queensland fresh from her maiden WISPA title triumph in last week's Apawamis Open in Rye, defeated Egypt's Eman El Amir 9-5 9-0 9-5 and now takes on Canadian qualifier Melanie Jans, who bravely battled for five games to overcome England's fifth-seeded Jenny Duncalf, a former European Junior Champion, 10-8 9-10 9-3 2-9 9-6.

Welsh qualifier Tegwen Malik produced the most crushing victory, despatching American Shabana Khan for the loss of just a single point in the third game. The Welsh champion, back on the circuit after a near three-year layoff with a mystery virus, now faces New Zealand's fourth seed Shelley Kitchen who beat US-based Australian Melissa Martin 9-5 9-0 9-0.

England's twice British Junior National Champion Laura Lengthorn became the third qualifier to reach the last eight when she recovered from a 9-0 drubbing in the first game to beat eighth-seeded Scot Wendy Maitland 0-9 9-1 9-6 3-9 9-2. The Lancashire lass next meets English county team-mate Vicky Botwright, the third seed, who defeated Australia's Amelia Pittock 7-9 9-7 9-3 9-7.
Qualifying Finals:
Heidi Mather (Aus) v Rebecca Botwright (Eng)
Tegwen Malik (Wal) v Marnie Baizley (Can)
Laura Lengthorn (Eng) v Meredeth Quick (Usa)
Christina Mak (Mas) v Mel Jans (Can)

1st Round
Heidi Mather (Aus) (1) bye
Rebecca Botwright (Eng) bt Dana Betts (Usa) (7) 9/3 9/0 9/2
Marnie Baizley (Can) (3) bt Carlin Wing (Usa) 9/0 9/3 9/4
Tegwen Malik (Wal) (5) bt Julia Beaver (Usa) 9/0 9/0 9/0
Laura Lengthorn (Eng) (4) bt Line Hansen (Den) 9/3 10/8 10/8
Meredeth Quick (Usa) (8) bt Frania Gillen-Buchert (Sco) 9/1 9/1 9/3
Mel Jans (Can) bt Samantha Teran (Mex) (6) 8/10 9/6 6/9 9/7 9/0
Christina Mak (Mas) (2) bye

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