WORLD SQUASH NEWS

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

Semi-finals:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [7] Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-2, 9-7, 1-9, 9-4 (43m)
[8] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-3, 9-0, 9-6 (43m)

Tranfield Topples Grinham For Place In Irish Open Final

England's Jenny Tranfield gave her career a significant boost when she defeated Australia's second seed Natalie Grinham in straight games to claim an unexpected place in the final of the Nivea Body Irish Women's Squash Open at the Fitzwilliam Club in Dublin.

The 29-year-old from Yorkshire, celebrating her tenth appearance in a WISPA World Tour final, will meet favourite Vanessa Atkinson, after the title-holder dashed local hopes with a four-game victory over Irish champion Madeline Perry in the other semi-final.

Grinham looked sluggish from the start of the opening semi-final, showing signs of the effect of her quarter final match 24 hours earlier, which lasted almost two hours.  The world No5 from Queensland picked up just three points in the first game and faired even worse in the second, losing 9-0 - with Tranfield looking highly-focused and playing good tight length.

In the third game, Grinham mounted a fight-back from 0-5 down after a collision at the front of the court in which the English player seemed to come off worse, with a knock on the hip.  Grinham noticeably improved and recovered to 5-5 in one hand with the help of a stroke.

After Tranfield regained the serve and won the next point with a good drop, the match then started to get scrappy as the players struggled to get out of each other's way.  Grinham drew level at 6-6, but then fell trying to retrieve a tight forehand drop and now looked a spent force.

At match-ball, Tranfield needed only one chance to close out the match and duly claimed her 9-3 9-0 9-6 victory after 43 minutes.

The other semi-final was also concluded in 43 minutes, as Vanessa Atkinson swept to her second successive final in Dublin with a 9-2 9-7 1-9 9-4 victory over Irish No1 Madeline Perry, the seventh seed.

Both players started the first game tentatively with a number of unforced errors.  Atkinson was first to settle and took the game with a combination of tight volley drops and quick low boasts.  The seven-times Dutch champion raced to 4-0 lead in the second, but Perry fought back to 4-3 with some good cross court drops.   It was 'nip and tuck' until 6-6, then Atkinson brought her full array of shots into play and, with a number of great drops and volley drops, went on to win the game 9-7.

Perry won a one-sided affair in the third, with Atkinson losing concentration and making seven unforced errors.  The defending champion was back in the zone in the next game, however, and soon wrapped up the victory which took her into the 18th WISPA final of her career. 

Despite being favourite to win her third title of the year, Atkinson has dropped games in two rounds in Dublin, whereas Tranfield has yet to concede a game.  Furthermore, the sport's first Doctor (Tranfield gained a PhD in Sports Psychology last year) has only once emerged as runner-up in the nine WISPA finals in which she has appeared to date.