RESULTS: A1 Homes Women's New Zealand Squash Open, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
Semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [5] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9
[2] Natalie Grinham (NED) bt [7] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 11-9, 11-2, 11-7
Men's New Zealand Classic, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
Semi-finals:
[3] Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt [1] Kashif Shuja (NZL) 13-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8
[2] Martin Knight (NZL) bt [4] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 13-11
World No3 Natalie Grinham has ended the fairytale run of Shelley Kitchen after beating the seventh-seeded local star to win her way through to the final of the A1 Homes New Zealand Women’s Squash Open at Mt Maunganui today (Saturday).
The second seed from the Netherlands will face favourite and world number two Natalie Grainger in Sunday's final of the $55,000 WISPA World Tour Gold event, the first staging of the New Zealand Open since 1993.
Grinham was too fast and strong for Kitchen - winning in straight games 11-9, 11-2, 11-7 after US star Grainger earlier won her semi in three games over Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy 11-8, 11-5, 11-9.
It was the best career performance from the kiwi in what was only her second semi-final in a WISPA Gold Star event. Kitchen's performances should see her rise in the world rankings.
"I went all-out in that first game and I was quite disappointed not to win that one," said Kitchen, from Auckland. "A couple of mistakes late in that game proved really costly. If I had been able to nail that one I think the match would have turned out differently.
"She came back really firing and my length was off and I tried to pick things up in the third but that is why she is currently one of the best in the world. She is so fast so whatever I tried to do she was able to cover it with her speed.
"I just wanted to play well in this event and to make the semis here at home is fantastic. It’s been the best week ever for squash in New Zealand during my time in the sport. The profile in the media has been great, the support from the fans and the opportunity for our players has been just awesome.
"Here’s hoping that all the sponsors have done well and this can continue and build from here in the future."
Grinham, in her second WISPA Gold final in a week, was pleased with her form: "I thought I played really well. After I hit the first four balls down, I started to find my range and chopped some nice short balls from the back. It seemed to be working and I stuck with it," said the Australian-born 31-year-old.
"The fans were definitely getting in behind Shelley but you just try to block it out and play as good as you can."
Earlier Grainger found her best form in dominating Kawy - celebrating her 24th birthday - in her first tournament for more than two months. "I felt quite sharp today. It was really good," said the former world number one from Greenwich, New York. "I am making progress this week. Omneya and I have similar styles so today was always going to be sort sharp rallies. My focus was a lot better today and I stayed focussed right to the end.
"I am really pleased to be in the final. I haven’t had a tournament since May so I am looking forward to it. It’s going to be a huge battle."
The two Natalies boast more than 70 WISPA Tour final appearances between them - with Grainger now looking forward to her 44th, and Grinham her 35th!
The final of the one-star New Zealand Men’s Classic will be an all-kiwi affair, with second seed Martin Knight taking on Auckland’s Campbell Grayson, who upset No1 seed and New Zealand champion Kashif Shuja in the semi-finals of the $10,000 PSA World Tour event.
Grayson edged out Shuja, ranked almost 20 places higher in the world, 13-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8 in a 65 minute battle, to continue their rivalry - with the pair training together on a regular basis.
"Over the last six years we have trained and played together untold times - we know each other pretty well," said 23-year-old Grayson.
“I have only beaten him five times and I’ve lost count how many times he has won. But I have managed to beat him each time we’ve played this year.
"That’s the first time I have beaten him in a PSA event. That was a big win for me. It’s probably my best performance. I had a really tough match yesterday and so I am happy to back up from that."
Earlier Knight, the Wellington-born Auckland-based player, accounted for Australia’s Matthew Karwalski in straight games 11-7, 11-8, 13-11.