Credit Suisse Privilege Ladies Open 2002
Hong Kong, 19-22 September, $17k

"I was 100% confident of winning the title today," said Grinham after her win. "I was a bit nervous at the start of the tournament, but I've been playing better and better through each round. I'm really pleased with my court coverage and my drop shots were working well again."

"I'm very disappointed to lose. I had easy matches throughout the tournament and I was just caught off guard today," Pohrer told the South China Morning Post. "I just couldn't step up today. She had a good game."

Grinham was pleased with her recent form in Asia. "These two titles are the biggest I've won," she told the SCMP. "I had been ranked seventh before and hopefully this win will help improve my ranking higher than that."

Rachael reports from Hong Kong

SF 21-Sep: Grinham foils Geaves
 
QF 20-Sep: Top seeds progress into semis
 
R1 19-Sep: Cheers for Chiu
 
QF 18-Sep: Qualifying

Players enjoy a seafood reception
on Lamma Island during HK's
mid-autumn festival

Draw & results

Rachael Grinham

I’m really happy I’m having such good results at the moment. Of course it was great to win the Singapore Open last month, and I knew I was playing well, but there can be a little pressure there to keep performing well also rather than everyone thinking maybe that one tournament was a fluke !! But I managed to come thru the end of this tournament playing just as great as in Singapore, so I’m happy that I kept focus so well more than anything... I knew I could keep up with these girls physically so it was more of a mental challenge this week I think.

Rachael reports from Hong Kong

Photos courtesy HK Squash

Omneya Abdel Kawy

9/3, 9/5, 9/7 (30m)
 

Rachael Grinham

9/4, 9/0, 9/1 (21m)

Fiona Geaves

Rachael rockets to HK title ...
Australia's in-form Rachael Grinham added the Credit Suisse Privilege title to the Singapore Open title she won last month, following up her semi-final defeat of second seed Fiona Geaves with a 30-minute 9/3, 9/5, 9/7 demolition of top seed Natalie Pohrer in the final.

"I was 100% confident of winning the title today," said Grinham after her win. "I was a bit nervous at the start of the tournament, but I've been playing better and better through each round. I'm really pleased with my court coverage and my drop shots were working well again."

"I'm very disappointed to lose. I had easy matches throughout the tournament and I was just caught off guard today," Pohrer told the South China Morning Post. "I just couldn't step up today. She had a good game."

Grinham was pleased with her recent form in Asia. "These two titles are the biggest I've won," she told the SCMP. "I had been ranked seventh before and hopefully this win will help improve my ranking higher than that."

Rachael reports from Hong Kong

Grinham foils Geaves ...
Top seed Natalie Pohrer continued her impressive progress in Hong Kong, following up yesterday's 11-minute whitewash with a 28-minute  9/1, 10/8, 9/3 victory over Egyptian junior Omneya Abdel Kawy.

In the other semi Australia's Rachael Grinham crushed second seed Fiona Geaves 9/4, 9/0, 9/1 in 21 minutes.

"Rachael played with a lot of pace, keeping the ball deep then catching Fiona out at the front of the court. She played many fine drop shots, and ran very fast - she's in top form and very fit" said an observer from HK Squash.

Rachael reports from Hong Kong

Top seeds progress into semis ...

England's top seed Natalie Pohrer took just eleven minutes to power her way through to the semi-finals of the Credit Suisse Privilege Women's Squash Open after whitewashing New Zealand qualifier Lara Petera 27-0 in the quarter-finals in Hong Kong.

The US-based world No4 now faces Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy who also saw off a  qualifier after recovering from a game down to beat England's Jenny Duncalf.

The bottom half of the draw sees Fiona Geaves matched up with Rachael Grinham, after the second and third seeds defeated local favourite Rebecca Chiu and Annelize Naude respectively.

Chiu was not downhearted though, and believes the tournament will stand her in good stead for the forthcoming Asian Games.

"I played much better than last time three years ago when I lost in straight games to her. She forced me to run around the court last time but I managed to bridge the gap with her today. But she's still too good for me. She is a top-10 player after all," the the Hong Kong ace told the South China Morning Post after her 3-1 defeat.

"Rachael moved very fast and is a better player, so she always made the decisive shots at the front court when my shots weren't sharp enough. I should have played the ball to the back court more."

Cheers For Chiu In Hong Kong
Unseeded Rebecca Chiu delighted the local crowds at the Credit Suisse Privilege Women's Squash Open in Hong Kong when she upset seventh-seeded Egyptian Engy Kheirallah 10-8, 9-6, 8-10, 9-3 in an hour-long first round clash today.

The Hong Kong No1, announced today as second seed in the Asian Games which begins at the end of this month in Busan, Korea, now faces Australia's third seed Rachael Grinham, who dropped a game before overcoming Egypt's Salma Shabana 9-6, 9-6, 8-10, 9-3 in 40 minutes.

Two qualifiers will feature in the quarter-finals after contrasting first round victories at the Hong Kong Squash Centre. New Zealand's Lara Petera seemed to be heading for a comprehensive defeat to fifth-seeded Dane Ellen Petersen after collecting just three points in the first two games. The 23-year-old from Auckland stepped up a gear and fought back with a vengeance, eventually winning 1-9, 2-9, 10-9, 9-7, 9-7 in 74 minutes.

England's Jenny Duncalf had an altogether easier ride, beating Egypt's Maha Zein, the eighth seed, 9-2, 9-1, 9-3 in just 20 minutes, and now takes on another Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy, the fourth seed.

Finals:
LARA PETERA beat WENDYMAITLAND   10/9, 0/9, 9/2, 9/2
DOMINIQUE L-WALTER beat LAURA KEATING   9/3, 3/9, 9/7, 9/3
JENNY DUNCALF beat FARRAH STERNE   9/2, 8/10, 9/5, 10/8
CHRISTINA MAK beat LOUISE CROME   9/4, 8/10, 9/4, 9/6

Round 1:
WENDY MAITLAND (SCO) beat CHINATSU MATSUI (JPN)   9/7, 9/2, 9/5
LARA PETERA (NZL) beat CONNIE CHOI (HKG)   9/3, 9/2, 9/1
LAURA KEATING (AUS) beat ELISE NG (HKG)   9/0, 9/0, 9/2
DOMINIQUE LLOYD-WALTER (ENG) beat YUKO ASANO (JPN)   9/2, 9/0, 10/8
FARRAH STERNE (RSA) beat KAREN LAU (HKG)   9/2, 7/9, 9/2, 9/6
JENNY DUNCALF (ENG) beat CHIU KA KEI (HKG)   9/0, 9/3, 9/4
LOUISE CROME (NZL) beat JULIE WILKINSON (ENG)   9/5, 7/9, 9/3, 9/3
CHRISTINA MAK (HKG) beat CHAN HO LING (HKG)   9/5, 9/2, 9/1