WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Women's Texas Squash Open, Houston, Texas, USA

Final:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) 9-5, 9-5, 9-5 (53m)

Rampant Rachael Takes Texas Title

Australia's world No2 Rachael Grinham grabbed her second major WISPA World Tour title of the year when she upset England's world No1 Cassie Jackman in the final of the Women's Texas Squash Open in Houston, USA.

As might be expected, the match was a fascinating contrast between the brutal power of Jackman and the lighter touch of Grinham - but of the highest order as befits the world's top two players.

It took only a few rallies for the players to settle into a pattern which featured Jackman driving and lobbing, and Grinham playing attacking boasts and looking for opportunities to take the ball high and early and deposit into a front wall nick.

It could have been the exertion of beating Rachael's younger sister Natalie Grinham in their 68 minute semi the night before, as Jackman was fully stretched by the Australian who took the first game.

Jackman was using her cut cross court drive to greater effect in the second to help reach a 5-1 lead, but this was slowly whittled away as Grinham covered the court so well and frustrated her opponent into errors. The Australian progressed from five-all in identical fashion to the first and repeated the scoreline to go two ahead after 33 minutes.

Would Jackman have anything left or would her third successive WISPA Gold final slip away? England Squash coach Paul Carter clearly wanted her to keep Grinham back, but whenever she was not tight enough a Grinham drop was proving difficult to reach. The score reached five all for the third time with Jackman competing as strongly, but slowly the match began to run away from her as Grinham flitted across the boards. 

For the third time, Grinham dominated the second phase of the game, with Jackman snatching at a ball when Grinham was tangled in the corner, only to find the tin.  After 53 minutes, Grinham recorded her 9-5 9-5 9-5 victory and her 14th Tour title.  It was also the Australian's third successive final win over Jackman, after successes in last year's British Open and January's Kuwait Open.

Grinham had been aided by her sister drawing a little of the sting out of her opponent in the previous round.  As she acknowledged in her winner's speech where, in addition to thanking the organisers, she said: "Thanks also to my sister for wearing Cassie out last night.  It really helped!"