Greenwich Open 2003
23-26 Jan, Connecticut, USA, $25k

Charman claims Greenwich Glory
England's Linda Charman claimed one of the best triumphs of her career when she recovered from two games down to upset top-seeded former compatriot Natalie Pohrer in the final in Connecticut, USA.

Since beating Pohrer in the British Open in 2001, second-seeded Charman has lost on three successive occasions to the world No3, now representing the USA. At two games up, it seemed that Pohrer would go on to take her first title of the year without dropping a game in the tournament.

Charman, however, had other ideas and the 31-year-old world No4 from Eastbourne rallied bravely to secure her stunning 5-9 5-9 9-2 9-6 9-6 victory in 91 minutes - amongst the longest matches in women's squash!

The success marked Charman's first WISPA World Tour title since November 2001 - and the ninth of her career. Interestingly, Pohrer became the opponent the England number two has beaten most in WISPA finals, following victories in
the Art of Squash event in the USA in November 1996 and the Exterieur Open in France in August 1999.

The Greenwich success will give Charman a significant boost on the eve of next month's British National Championships in Manchester, where she is seeded to win the title for the first time in her 15th appearance in the event.

• Draw & Results
   

• Reports

Charman in Nationals action

9-2, 9-6, 9-6

Rebecca Macree

 Natalie Pohrer

5/9 5/9 9/2
9/6 9/6

Linda Charman

9-4, 9-1, 9-3

Linda Charman

Semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Pohrer (USA) bt [5] Rebecca Macree (ENG)    9-2, 9-6, 9-6
[2] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY)  9-4, 9-1, 9-3

Pohrer & Charman In Greenwich Glory Bid
Top seeds Natalie Pohrer, the world No3 from the USA, and Linda Charman, the world No4 from England, will meet in the final in Connecticut, USA.

Favourite Pohrer, the Greenwich Open champion in both 1998 and 1999, repeated her victories over the same opponent she faced in those finals when she beat fifth-seeded Englishwoman Rebecca Macree 9-2, 9-6, 9-6 in the semi-finals. The 25-year-old from St Louis, who claimed four WISPA World Tour titles in 2002, is celebrating her 14th appearance in a WISPA final.

After surviving a close four-game quarter-final battle with compatriot Fiona Geaves, second-seeded Linda Charman had an easier run in the semi-finals where she beat Egypt's eighth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy 9-4, 9-1, 9-3. The 31-year-old from Eastbourne in Sussex, who is seeded to become British National champion for the first time next month, will be competing in her 20th WISPA final in Greenwich.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Natalie Pohrer (USA) bt [7] Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-1, 9-4, 9-1
[5] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [3] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-4, 9-5, 9-7
[8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [4] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-1, 9-7, 9-4
[2] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [6] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-10, 9-6, 9-3, 9-7

Bailey Bumped Out Of Greenwich Open
World No6 Tania Bailey suffered her first loss to a fellow countrywoman since becoming England No1 for the first time when she went down in a straight games upset to Rebecca Macree in the quarter-finals of the $25,000 Women's Greenwich Squash Open in Connecticut, USA.

Macree, the fifth seed from London, claimed her second successive win over Bailey - last beating the former world junior champion from Lincolnshire in August's Malaysian Open - in a 9-4 9-5 9-7 scoreline. The victory, which takes Macree to her fourth successive WISPA World Tour semi-final, will give the rejuvenated 31-year-old a significant boost on the eve of next month's British National Championships where Bailey is seeded to reach the final.

Macree now faces USA's top-seeded Natalie Pohrer who crushed England's seventh seed Stephanie Brind 9-1 9-4 9-1. Macree and Pohrer last met in November's final of the Monte Carlo Classic, won by Pohrer, but the St Louis-based world No3 suffered a shock semi-final upset in the Apawamis Open earlier this month.

Egypt's 17-year-old Omneya Abdel Kawy pulled off another upset in the lower half of the draw when she knocked out fourth-seeded Australian Rachael Grinham 9-1 9-7 9-4. The teenager's stunning victory begs the question of whether the world No8 from Queensland's recent move to Cairo to train with players like Kawy is benefiting the locals more than the visitor!

Kawy, the eighth seed, takes on England's second seed Linda Charman who recovered from a first game defeat to beat compatriot Fiona Geaves, the sixth seed, 9-10 9-6 9-3 9-7.

1st round:
[1] Natalie Pohrer (USA) bt [Q] Lara Petera (NZL)   9-6, 9-5, 9-4
[7] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt [Q] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-3, 9-4, 9-5
[3] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Madeline Perry (IRL)  9-0, 9-4, 9-4
[5] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [Q] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG)    9-2, 10-8, 9-2
[8] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL)    7-9, 9-3, 9-3, 9-1
[4] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-7, 9-0, 9-3
[6] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-2, 0-9, 9-7, 7-9, 9-5
[2] Linda Charman (ENG) bt Meredeth Quick (USA) 9-1, 9-1, 9-0

Qualifying finals:
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 9-7, 9-1, 9-3
Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Melissa Martin (AUS)  6-9, 9-5, 9-5, 10-8
Latasha Khan (USA) bt Eman El Amir (EGY)    9-7, 9-5, 9-1
Lara Petera (NZL) bt Heidi Mather (AUS)     9-5, 9-4, 9-0

1st qualifying round:
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Engy Kheirallah (EGY)   9-2, 9-2, 9-4
Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-7, 9-6, 9-7
Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt Samantha Teran (MEX)  9-6, 9-0, 9-6
Melissa Martin (AUS) bt Cheryl Beaumont (ENG)   9-6, 9-5, 9-0
Eman El Amir (EGY) bt Christina Mak (HKG)   9-3, 9-6, 9-6
Latasha Khan (USA) bt Dana Betts (USA)  9-4, 9-2, 9-0
Lara Petera (NZL) bt Julia Beaver (USA) 10-8, 9-0, 9-6
Heidi Mather (AUS) bt Maha Zein (EGY)   9-3, 9-3, 9-4