WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: PSA Qatar Masters Squash Championship, Doha, Qatar

1st round:
[12] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Martin Heath (SCO) 17-16, 15-10, 17-16
[7] Jonathon Power (CAN) bt Simon Parke (ENG) 14-17, 15-8, 15-12, 15-6
Dan Jenson (AUS) bt [10] Nick Matthew (ENG) 13-15, 17-14, 15-14, 15-12
[4] Lee Beachill (ENG) bt Tommy Berden (NED) 15-12, 15-6, 15-12
[14] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Borja Golan (ESP) 15-12, 15-10, 6-15, 9-15, 15-13
[6] David Palmer (AUS) bt Alex Gough (WAL) 15-8, 15-7, 15-6
[9] Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 15-9, 15-12, 15-9
[2] John White (SCO) bt Adrian Grant (ENG) 12-15, 15-6, 7-15, 15-12, 15-12

Women's World Grand Prix Finals, Doha, Qatar
1st qualifying round:
   Pool A:
[1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [5] Linda Charman (ENG) 9-0, 9-4, 9-2
[4] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [8] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-1, 9-5, 9-4
   Pool B:
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [6] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-5, 9-8, 9-2
[7] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt [3] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-5, 9-4, 9-1

Jenson Masters Matthew In Doha

Australia's unseeded Dan Jenson made his mark on the second day of first round action in the PSA Qatar Masters when he upset England's tenth seed Nick Matthew in four games at the Khalifa International Squash Complex in Doha.

England's Rebecca Macree made a great start in the first qualifying round of the Women's World Grand Prix Finals with a straight games victory over third seed Vanessa Atkinson - only three days after the Dutch champion successfully defended her Irish Open title in Dublin.

Nick Matthew's shock demise follows a sensational run by the 23-year-old from Sheffield, including two final and four semi-final appearances in his last six PSA Tour events.  Jenson, however, is working his way back to the top of the game after a series of injuries which followed his rise to a career-high world No5 ranking in October 1999.

The 28-year-old from Adelaide, currently standing at 27 in the PSA rankings, triumphed 13-15 17-14 15-14 15-12 in a closely-fought contest with Matthew to set up a surprise second round meeting with another Englishman Lee Beachill.

Beachill, the fourth seed, maintained his winning momentum in Doha since picking up the Qatar Classic title in December with a 15-12 15-6 15-12 victory over Dutchman Tommy Berden.

Scotland's defending champion John White was given a scare by young Englishman Adrian Grant before narrowly making the second round.  Grant, the 23-year-old world No17 from London who later this month becomes the first black player to represent England in senior competition, twice led the world No1 in games, then had an 11-8 lead in the decider before the hard-hitting Scot raised his game to record a 12-15 15-6 7-15 15-12 15-12 victory.

"He hits the ball with great force," Grant told the Gulf Times.  "Even when you are in front of him the ball is coming back at you with such speed that there is very little time and space to react."

White was full of praise for Grant:  "He played really well.  This was very tough for a first round match.  I was under pressure because I am defending the title," said White.   "I didn't want to go out in the first round.  The match was up and down but then a win is a win."

Top seed Cassie Jackman cruised through her first qualifying match in the WISPA World Grand Prix Finals against fellow Englishwoman Linda Charman.  The world No1 won 9-0 9-4 9-2 and will now face Australia's fourth seed Natalie Grinham in the second match in Pool A.  In the other first round Pool match, Grinham beat England's Tania Bailey 9-1 9-5 9-4.

In Pool B, England's Rebecca Macree mounted a serious challenge for a place in the semi-final knockout stage with her shock 9-5 9-4 9-1 win over third seed Vanessa Atkinson.  The Netherlands star has the chance to make amends in her second round match against England's Fiona Geaves, a first round loser to Australia's No2 seed Rachael Grinham in a 9-5 9-8 9-2 scoreline.