WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Women's Weymuller US Open Squash Championship, New York, USA

Semi-finals:
[3] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [1] Cassie Jackman (ENG) 5-9, 9-4, 9-3, 6-9, 9-0 (57m)
[4] Linda Elriani (ENG) bt [2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9-7, 9-6, 9-6 (55m)

Top Seeds Tumble In New York

A new name will be inscribed on the trophy of the Women's Weymuller US Open Squash Championship after both top seeds crashed out at the semi-final stage at the Heights Casino in New York.

Perhaps the bigger of the upsets was created by home star Natalie Grainger, playing for the first time amongst the top players in the world after an eight-month layoff from the WISPA World Tour.

The 27-year-old third seed from Washington DC was a little slow starting against favourite and four-times champion Cassie Jackman.  After losing the opening game, Grainger came back strongly, winning numerous points from her backhand drop played from the back of the court to take the next two games. 

Jackman, the world No2 from England, took the fourth after eliminating a series of errors in the earlier games to set up a decider.  Grainger, ranked five in the world, came on strong, dominating with volleys and good shots to force two early errors from Jackman.  The fifth game lasted just seven minutes as Grainger celebrated her 5-9 9-4 9-3 6-9 9-0 victory in 57 minutes - and her 20th appearance in a WISPA final.

In the other semi-final, England's Linda Elriani, the fourth seed, faced No2 seed Vanessa Atkinson, from the Netherlands.  Elriani pulled out all stops and could do no wrong in a tight three-game match.  Atkinson, winner of six WISPA titles already this year, played well but became frustrated as Elriani retrieved and attacked everything she put up. 

After 55 minutes, and three successive Tour defeats by Atkinson, the 32-year-old from Eastbourne in Sussex celebrated her 9-7 9-6 9-6 victory.

Grainger will be hoping for fifth time lucky in the Heights Casino final.  She and Elriani have met in four WISPA finals since 1996 - and the Englishwoman has prevailed in all four!