WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Nivea Body Irish Women's Squash Open, Fitzwilliam Club, Dublin

1st round:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [Q] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-7, 9-4, 9-0
[6] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt Annelize Naude (NED) 9-4, 9-7, 9-1
Carla Khan (PAK) bt [4] Nicol David (MAS) 7-9, 10-8, 10-9, 7-9, 9-3
[7] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Alison Waters (ENG) 9-4, 9-5, 7-9, 1-9, 9-7
[8] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-7, 9-1, 9-1
Dianne Desira (AUS) bt [Q] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-6, 9-5, 9-2
[5] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [Q] Tegwen Malik (WAL) 8-10, 9-3, 10-8, 9-3
[2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Vicky Lankester (ENG) 9-7, 9-2, 9-1

Khan Crushes David In Dublin

Pakistan's Carla Khan secured one of the best scalps of her career when she knocked Malaysia's fourth seed Nicol David out of the Nivea Body Irish Women's Squash Open in a dramatic five-game upset in the first round at the Fitzwilliam Club in Dublin.

Khan, the UK-based world No23, battled for 85 minutes to secure the 7-9 10-8 10-9 7-9 9-3 victory over the world No8 from Penang which takes her into an unexpected quarter-final.

Her opponent will be seventh seed Madeline Perry, the Irish No1 who also came through a tough five-game encounter to overcome England's Alison Waters 9-4 9-5 7-9 1-9 9-7. 

Perry, from Banbridge, got off to a great start, playing aggressive squash.  However, in the third game she seemed to get nervous and made a string of tactical errors which allowed Waters back into the match.

In the fourth game, Perry made a string of unforced errors to lose 9-1.  In the decider, both girls tired and were impeding one another throughout. The Irish champion struggled to a 7-5 lead and then match-ball at 8-5.  Perry made a couple of mistakes to let her opponent narrow the gap to 8-7, before finally clinching the victory her local supporters were hoping for.

Australia's Dianne Desira claimed an unexpected place in the last eight when she toppled compatriot Amelia Pittock in the first round.  Beaten in the qualifiers, the 22-year-old from Victoria was then chosen as 'lucky loser' to replace England's third seed Linda Charman, who was forced to withdraw from the event with a back injury. 

Desira despatched Pittock, a qualifier, 9-6 9-5 9-2 and now faces England's eighth seed Jenny Tranfield for a place in the semi-finals.