KWC CPA Washington Summit 2004
 04-07 Mar, Washington, USA, $20k 
07-Mar, Final:
[1] Linda Charman (Eng) bt [2] Rebecca Macree (Eng)
      3/9, 9/2, 9/5, 9/2 (62m)
Charman on top of the Summit
Hunt Richardson and Meherji Madan
(match referee & marker) report from Washington

 Linda Charman defeated Rebecca Macree in the final of the Inaugural 2004 KWC CPA Washington Summit. The match was physical from the outset, with 63 appeals on interference.

The catlike Macree controlled the first game 9-2 with airtight backhand drives, creampuff lobs and razor sharp drops into the nick. Charman was off rhythm and unable to assert herself on the T. After 11 appeals, the Referee established control by issuing a conduct warning first to Macree at 7-2 for unnecessary physical contact, and then after the next rally to Charman for dissent on a let.

In game two, Charman found her stride and began to volley after losing the first three rallies. Macree's length evaporated and in two hands Charman had levelled the score to one game all.

Game three turned even more physical, with both players blocking each other and making a total of 18 appeals to the Referee. Again Macree controlled the initial rallies, but at 5-3 she began to tire from having to retrieve Charman's deft cross court lobs and punishing drives. Charman sensed her opponent's fatigue and sprinted to win the next six rallies and take the game 9-5.

In the final game, Macree returned to the court early while Charman was receiving encouragement from her corner. The appeals continued to occur, with six lets in six hands. Charman punched through doggedly to 8-1, during which time the Referee ruled on 10 more appeals for blocking as both players struggled to hold the center of the court. Macree dug in and saved three match balls at 8-1, but tinned on the fourth one at 8-2, making Charman the winner and Champion in four games.
  


CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



Coverage from Washington

MEDIA WATCH:

A simple headline in the Washington Post of "27-0" seemed to herald top-level coverage for squash, featuring Champion Charman's first round demolition job.

Sadly the piece turned out to be about a local basketball team's attempt to go through the regular season with a perfect 27 wins!

For the record, the Saint Joseph's Hawks "rolled to an 82-50 victory over St. Bonaventure to become the first team since UNLV in 1991 to finish the regular season undefeated."
1st Round
Thu 4th		 Quarters
Fri 5th		 Semis
 Sat 6th		 Final
Sun 7th
[1] Linda Charman (Eng)
9/0, 9/0, 9/0
[Q] Alana Miller (Can)		 Linda Charman
9/4, 9/1, 9/2
Pamela Nimmo		 Linda Charman
9/0, 9/3, 9/0

 Stephanie Brind		 Linda Charman
 

3/9, 9/2, 9/5, 9/2
 

Rebecca Macree
[7] Sharon Wee (Mas)
7/9, 9/2, 10/8, 9/2
Pamela Nimmo (Sco)
[3] Vicky Botwright (Eng)
9/4, 9/6, 9/10, 9/4
Carla Khan (Pak)		 Vicky Botwright
2/9, 9/6, 8/10,
9/4, 9/0
 Stephanie Brind
[6] Stephanie Brind (Eng)
9/0, 5/9, 9/4, 9/4
[Q] Heidi Mather (Aus)
[Q] Olga Puigdemont Sola (Esp)
6/9, 9/1, 9/5, 9/0
[8] Latasha Khan (Usa)		 Latasha Khan
9/3, 9/5, 9/4
Omneya Abdel Kawy 		Omneya Abdel Kawy

9/2, 9/5, 9/7

Rebecca Macree
[Q] Melissa Martin (Aus)
9/1, 9/6, 9/1
[4] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy)
Engy Kheirallah (Egy)
9/4, 9/6, 9/6
[5] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)		 Engy Kheirallah
9/0, 9/6, 9/1
Rebecca Macree
Alison Waters (Eng)
9/0, 9/1, 9/6
[2] Rebecca Macree (Eng)
 

Qualifying:

Qualifying Finals (Wed 3rd):
Melissa Martin (Aus) bt  Kelly Fowler (Aus)  9/4, 4/9, 9/2, 9/2
Olga Puigdemont Sola (Esp) bt Tara Mullins (Can)  9/3, 7/9, 9/5, 9/5
Alana Miller (Can) bt Carlin Wing (Usa)  9/1, 9/1, 9/5
Heidi Mather (Aus) bt Katie Patrick (Can)  9/7, 9/1, 3/9, 9/5

Qualifying round one:
Tara Mullins (Can) bt Margaret Elias (Usa)  9/5, 9/1, 9/2
Reports

06-Mar, Semis:
Charman & Macree Reach
Washington Summit Summit
England's top two seeds Linda Charman and Rebecca Macree will contest the final of the Women's KWC CPA Washington Squash Summit after securing straight games successes in the semi-finals in Washington DC, USA.

Favourite Charman, the 32-year-old world No7 from Eastbourne in Sussex, dropped only three points as she cruised to a 9-0 9-3 9-0 win over former England team-mate Stephanie Brind, the sixth seed who reached the last four after a five-game upset over third seed Vicky Botwright.

The other semi-final in the new $20,000 event on the WISPA World Tour's growing US circuit was a harder-fought affair in which Macree, the No2 seed from London, removed fourth-seeded Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy 9-2 9-5 9-7.

05-Mar, Quarters:
English advance
England's Stephanie Brind pulled off one her best wins in recent times when she upset compatriot Vicky Botwright, the third seed, in the quarter-finals of the Women's Washington Squash Summit in Washington DC, USA.

Sixth seed Brind, a former world No4 who is now at 15 in the WISPA world rankings, was twice behind the world No11 from Manchester before punishing her opponent in the fifth game to record a 2-9, 9-6, 8-10, 9-4, 9-0 victory.

The 26-year-old from Greenhithe in Kent now meets fellow countrywoman Linda Charman, the top seed who ended unseeded Scot Pamela Nimmo's run in a 9-4, 9-1, 9-2 scoreline.

The other semi-final will also provide English interest as Rebecca Macree takes on Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy. Macree, the 2nd seed from Essex, beat unseeded Egyptian Engy Kheirallah 9-0, 9-6, 9-1 while fourth-seeded Kawy cruised to a 9-3, 9-5, 9-4 victory over local favourite Latasha Khan, the eight seed from the USA.

04-Mar, First Round:
Ambassador Entertained
As the first round got under way in Washington, the Egyptian Ambassador was on hand to see Omneya Abdel Kawy and Engy Kheirallah progress to the quarter-finals. Kheirallah made it a good night for the Egyptions, upsetting 5th seed Jenny Duncalf.

There was also a delegation from the Pakistan Embassy in support of Carla Khan, who couldn't deny Vicky Botwright a place in the quarter-finals, but the English-based Pakistan champion was visibly buoyed by their presence in the longest and most dramatic match of the night.

Top seeds Linda Charman and Rebecca Macree cruised through, Charman inflicting a whitewash on Canada's Alana Miller.

Preview:
Grainger takes a break
before Washington Summit
The inaugural Washington Summit, to be held at Sports Club/LA in Washington, features a $20k prize fund with the USA's Natalie Grainger and England's Linda Charman initially seeded to contest the final.

Top-seeded Grainger, due to compete in her home town, rushed home from Doha on 26 Feb after crashing out of the Qatar Airways Challenge. "I'm rushing home to recuperate as I don't want to be beaten at home next week," said Grainger, who slipped to number four in the March rankings.

However she has now decided that she needs to take a break from the tour to full recover her health (full story) with Rebecca Macree elevated to second seed in a substantial redraw.