WORLD SQUASH NEWS

Geaves Gets Go-Ahead For US Open

England's Fiona Geaves, who six weeks ago suffered a serious injury which dislodged three of her front teeth, has been given the all clear to compete in next week's Carol Weymuller Women's US Open Squash Championship at the Heights Casino in New York, from 13-16 October.

"My dentist has just given me the best news possible - that I won't need implants and that two of my teeth should make a complete recovery," said the world No12 from Gloucester.  "Luckily the nerves aren't dead, so they're healing quite nicely."

It was in a training session with the England U23 squad that Alison Waters lost her footing and accidentally hit Geaves in the mouth with her head.  Wearing a protective brace, the plucky Geaves went on to compete in the women's event in last week's British Open in Nottingham - as well as the Women's Over-35 event, which she won.

On Tuesday this week, however, Geaves faced former world No3 Sue Wright in an English National League match - and suffered a further setback when she was again hit in the mouth by her opponent's racket. 

"Although her racket only really skimmed my face very slightly, it was still an awful shock and I felt quite sick - and was tempted to stop the match there and then," Geaves recalls.  "However, it's against my nature to do something like that, so I carried on.  I really should have beaten her, but my concentration had gone.

"I've lost my brace now, so my front teeth are unsupported for the first time in six weeks, so I've got to be extra careful - even with eating.  I've got to remember to put food straight to the back of my mouth - and that's not very easy to do!

"So after being uncertain for the past few days, I can now go to New York and compete in the US Open - but I won't throw myself around and I will be wearing a gum shield," said the unseeded Englishwoman who won the Carol Weymuller Open ten years ago.  "Luckily I'm playing Vanessa Atkinson in the first round.  I'm sure I'll be OK with her, but if it had been one or two of the other players, I would have been a bit worried!"

New Zealand's world No1 Carol Owens, a shock semi-final casualty in last week's British Open, is seeded to win the 2003 US Open title, after meeting local star Natalie Grainger, the world No2 based in Washington DC, in the final.  After a few days off at her Cairo base in Egypt, Australia's newly-crowned British Open champion Rachael Grinham returns to action at the Heights Casino - and is seeded for a quarter-final meeting with England's Cassie Jackman in a repeat of the Nottingham final.

First round draw:
[1] Carol Owens (NZL) v Jenny Tranfield (ENG)
[7] Tania Bailey (ENG) v Qualifier
[4] Linda Charman (ENG) v Latasha Khan (USA)
[8] Natalie Grinham (AUS) v Qualifier
[6] Cassie Jackman (ENG) v Rebecca Macree (ENG)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Qualifier
[5] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v Fiona Geaves (ENG)
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) v Qualifier