TOURNAMENT:
Women's Burning River Cleveland Squash Classic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
REPORTS:
1st round
Manetta Masters Malik In Burning River Upset
Quarter-finals:
Stoehr Fries Brown In Burning River Upset
Semi-finals:
Grainger & Stoehr In Cleveland Climax
Final:
Grainger Clinches Cleveland Crown
RESULTS:
1st round:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [Q] Alana Miller (CAN) 9-5, 9-0, 9-5
[8] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt [Q] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 9-6, 9-3, 9-6
[3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 9-2, 9-7, 9-5
[6] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Orla Noom (NED) 9-1, 9-2, 9-1
[7] Latasha Khan (USA) bt Amelia Pittock (AUS) w/o
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [4] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 9-2, 9-2, 9-7
[5] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [Q] Peta Hughes (AUS) 9-2, 10-8, 9-7
[2] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 9-2, 9-0, 9-2
Quarter-finals:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [8] Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-0, 9-0, 9-6
[3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [6] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) 9-6, 9-1, 9-3
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [7] Latasha Khan (USA) 10-9, 8-10, 1-9, 9-5, 9-4
[5] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [2] Kasey Brown (AUS) 6-9, 10-8, 9-6, 9-3
Semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [3] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 3-9, 9-0,
9-2, 9-1
[5] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA) 9-4, 9-3, 9-3
Final:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [5] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-7, 10-8, 9-1 (43m)
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REPORTS
Final:
Grainger Clinches Cleveland Crown
Natalie Grainger celebrated her first WISPA World Tour title as a US citizen
when she beat Isabelle Stoehr in the final of the inaugural Women's Burning
River Cleveland Squash Classic at the Cleveland Racquet Club in Cleveland in
the US state of Ohio.
Top seed Grainger, who formally became a US citizen last month some six
years after moving to the USA, took a commanding 5-1 lead in the first game.
But fifth seed Stoehr, hitherto unbeaten this year after winning two WISPA
titles, fought her way back to tie the game at seven-all. Grainger,
determined not to let the game slip as she had in the semis, closed it out
with a tight backhand drop shot.
Stoehr led 5-2 and 7-5 in the second, but again the 29-year-old from
Washington came back to open up a two-game lead.
Grainger controlled the third game, despite some crisp winners from the
27-year-old from Chambery - but, after 43 minutes, it was Grainger that was
celebrating a 9-7, 10-8, 9-1 victory.
"Isabelle seems to have got her passion back for the game," said the new
champion. "She played great today, showing her great racquet work. I had to
really concentrate and play my own game," added Grainger after winning her
12th career WISPA crown.
Stoehr, disappointed by the end of her 11-match winning streak, said: "It
was really important for me to win that second game, as I came out mentally
low in the third and maybe gave her too much respect. But I am happy with
the way I played today and this week."
Semi-finals:
Grainger & Stoehr In Cleveland Climax
Top seed Natalie Grainger and fifth seed Isabelle Stoehr will meet in the
final of the Women's Burning River Cleveland Squash Classic after
contrasting semi-final victories at the Cleveland Racquet Club in Cleveland
in the US state of Ohio.
Grainger dropped the first game against England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter,
the third seed. But the Washington-based 29-year-old, who became a US
citizen last month, woke up from her initial shell-shock, winning the second
without a loss of serve, in four minutes, 9-0!
The favourite maintained her attacking form thereafter and soon wrapped up a
3-9, 9-0, 9-2, 9-1 victory - and a place in her 28th WISPA final.
"Dominique destroyed me in the first game - she attacked first and she got
me going the wrong way a few times," said Grainger afterwards. "In the
second I lifted my focus a lot and made sure that every ball had a purpose,
tried to hit the ball crisper with more cut."
Stoehr, who reached the last four after upsetting Australia's second seed
Kasey Brown, ended Manuela Manetta's brave run, beating the unseeded Italian
9-4, 9-3, 9-3.
The win extends the 27-year-old from Chambery's unbeaten run this year to 11
matches - and takes Stoehr into her third WISPA final of the year, and the
12th of her career.
"I知 training hard and hopefully I can get into the top ten," explained
Stoehr later. "I知 trying to build up my fitness and my game. I play with
pace and play at the front when I get the opportunity.
"I am shorter than most other players so I need to be faster!"
Quarter-finals:
Stoehr Fries Brown In Burning River Upset
France's Isabelle Stoehr extended her unbeaten WISPA World Tour run in 2007
to ten wins when she upset second seed Kasey Brown in the quarter-finals of
the Women's Burning River Cleveland Squash Classic at the Cleveland Racquet
Club in Cleveland in the US state of Ohio.
The unstoppable Stoehr has already secured WISPA titles this year at the
Mayfair Lakeshore Open in Canada and Des Pyramides Open in France - in
addition to her tenth French Nationals title at the beginning of February.
Demonstrating the same form which saw her beat Brown in the Mayfair final in
Toronto, Stoehr stormed back from a game down to win 6-9, 10-8, 9-6, 9-3.
The 27-year-old from Chambery will now meet Manuela Manetta, the unseeded
Italian who caused her second successive upset in the event by beating local
star Latasha Khan, the No7 seed from the USA, 10-9, 8-10, 1-9, 9-5, 9-4.
Top seed Natalie Grainger ensured that there is US interest in the other
semi-final. The former world No1 from Washington DC crushed England's No8
seed Rebecca Botwright 9-0, 9-0, 9-6 - and will now face another English
opponent for a place in the final.
Dominique Lloyd-Walter, the third seed, despatched New Zealand's No6 seed
Jaclyn Hawkes 9-6, 9-1, 9-3.
Round 1:
Manetta Masters Malik In Burning River Upset
Fourth seed Tegwen Malik crashed out of the Women's Burning River Cleveland
Squash Classic after losing to unseeded Italian Manuela Manetta in the first
round of the new WISPA World Tour event at the Cleveland Racquet Club in
Cleveland in the US state of Ohio.
Manetta raced to an early lead using a lot of variation to her game, leaving
the usually nimble Malik looking uncomfortable when any explosive speed was
called upon. After taking a lead in the third, the 23-year-old from Parma
started looking a little shaky when victory was in sight.
A string of errors from Manetta gave the Welsh champion a 7-5 lead, and it
looked as if the number four seed might survive after all. But a few nice
holds and cross court flicks gave Manetta the match 9-2, 9-2, 9-7.
"I知 very happy with that win - it is my best to date," said the surprise
quarter-finalist afterwards. "I致e been trying to add more attack to my game
- I guess it works!"
Manetta will now face seventh seed Latasha Khan after the seven-times US
National champion was given a walkover by Amelia Pittock. The Australian was
taken ill with a virus during the previous night.
England's eighth seed Rebecca Botwright produced a solid performance against
Lisa Camilleri winning comfortably in three games. Camilleri was not looking
her best after being up most of the night nursing compatriot Pittock.
Botwright will now face top seed Natalie Grainger after the top seed from
the USA beat Canadian qualifier Alana Miller 9-5, 9-0, 9-5
"I feel I知 getting back to my best," said Grainger, who is playing in her
first WISPA World Tour event since becoming a US citizen last month. "The
top three in the world are in great physical shape so with a little more
conditioning I値l be right in there."
Miller noted: "I just aspire to be half as good as she is with the racket,
she痴 in a different class right now, but I値l go away and work hard."
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Qualifying
Qualifying finals:
Alana Miller (CAN) bt Katie Patrick (CAN) 9-6, 9-1, 9-2
Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-3, 9-3, 9-1
Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Laura Mylotte (IRL) 9-1, 9-7, 9-2
Peta Hughes (AUS) bt Tara Mullins (CAN) 10-8, 9-3, 9-2
Australians Dominant In Cleveland Qualifiers
The Australian flavour of the Women's Burning River Cleveland Classic will
be boosted fourfold after Lisa Camilleri, Donna Urquhart and Peta Hughes
claimed places in the main draw of the new WISPA World Tour event following
successes in the qualifying finals at the Cleveland Racquet Club in
Cleveland in the US state of Ohio.
Camilleri ended English hopes with a 9-3, 9-3, 9-1 dismissal of Yorkshire's
Lauren Siddall. "I was expecting it to go to five so I am really happy with
the result. I think Lauren is still recovering from a bug but I知 happy to
have qualified. I am looking forward to going home - this cold is getting to
me," said the 24-year-old Queenslander who now faces England's eighth seed
Rebecca Botwright in the first round.
Urquhart, also based in Queensland, defeated Ireland's Laura Mylotte 9-1,
9-7, 9-2 and will now meet England's third seed Dominique Lloyd-Walter.
Top seed Natalie Grainger, who is playing in her first WISPA World Tour
event as a US citizen, will take on Canadian qualifier Alana Miller in the
opening round - and is expected to meet second-seeded Australian Kasey Brown
in Saturday's final.
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