After four successive losses in the finals in Belfast, KL, Kuwait
and Qatar, Natalie Grinham finally scored a victory over world number
one Nicol David, ending the Malaysian's 51-match unbeaten run in the
process.
As the crowds arrived to fill every single seat for the Seoul Open
final in the Seoul Plaza, the square was winding down from a pop show
and a pageant celebrating Korean history. All part of the Hi Seoul
Festival for which squash would be the evening fare.
The top two seeds made the last day, as they had in three recent WISPA
Golds, with Nicol David winning them all. Indeed, the last Grinham
victory over Duracell David had been as far back as 2004 in the World
Open semi final. But the Malaysian had been forced to five games in
two of the last four meetings, with Grinham managing one game in the
other two. So no steamrolling expected.
Both players could point to March 2006 as a pivotal point. David
suffered her last loss then; Grinham secured three Gold Medals at the
Commonwealth Games as well as getting married. Who knows which changed
her most, but the upward progress has been clear.
David, as is her custom, had bought a new top on the day of the final,
this time a two-tone pink number. Grinham, also sleeveless as usual,
was in white.
David would have decided that she would need to avoid chasing an early
game as she is prone to do, and come out of the traps fired up.
Hunting at the front as much as she could, Grinham, six years the
older at twenty nine, was trying to impose herself with her high and
wide boast and short combo, and the Malaysian didn’t appear to have
the sureness of touch which we have come to expect.
There was not a seat to be had, the walkways full, and the grass on
the open side around twenty deep; all watching Grinham take the
pressure. She scurried around like a wasp in a bottle, and was taking
advantage of opportunities as they occurred, firing in a clinging
drop, feinting or simply inducing an eventual error with a tight
approach.
A David comeback at the end of a losing first game was awaited but it
never materialized. A huge rally that drew gasps with the retrieving
ended with a Grinham game ball gained at 8/2, and then after a couple
of perkier David rallies she closed out.
It had been hard but the Australian had her nose in front.
Still no David push as the second game progressed. Grinham, still
playing at her effective best, looking even a tad faster than her
normal blur and hitting superb attacking boasts when not keeping it
tight. But could she keep up the pace? That said, it was also
punishing for her opponent whose own speed and turning ability are
second to none.
Having opened a five point lead, Grinham found David beginning to show
signs of a surge. Bolstered by a couple of errors while stretching,
David was climbing towards equality. The pace was relentless but the
world number two surged on again with some irresistible hustling.
Another David mistake led to 8/4 and a final rat-a-tat exchange took
Grinham two games up.
The third saw her maintaining her shape, showing no signs of cracking
and still dominating the exchanges. David seemed unable to find a
spark that could ignite a charge and so keep her winning run intact.
Even a groundswell of vocal support for her couldn’t do it.
Grinham simply kept winning rallies and eventually, after 43 minutes,
the match. Her unbridled delight clear to see.
An upset maybe, but after so much hunting, on the day Grinham’s
performance more than merited the title.
The Seoul Open was a stunning success for Seoul Squash Federation and
Korean squash generally.
"The
championship will definitely be back and bigger next year. I think
that Squash is a really great sport for Seoul and our citizens.
"Seoul Plaza is a symbol of Seoul and through the matches here we
expect to develop more top ranked players and increase the popularity
of the sport here.
"We look forward to welcoming this event back every year as we prepare
our players to try to win medals at the Asian Games in Korea in 2014."
Mr Lee, Lee Jae Secretary of the Seoul Sports Council
A great WISPA Tour week, great squash
promotion for Seoul and a very happy victor on a plane back to her
Netherlands base. All bases covered!
"Today
I was more relaxed than for a while when I went on court, not that I
am sure why. When I was ahead I knew that I had to keep focused and I
did that for a change.
"I always knew that I could win, just today everything came together
well.
"Now I am finally going to have a week off and hope that the sun is
still shining when I get back home!"
"I
was thinking too much and my focus wasn’t right, but she played really
well. I was trying to do things but she got comfortable and I couldn’t
find my way in.
"I am pleased with what I have done this year but after a short break
now I will get back to business. There is more to be done ..."
There was a treat for the packed gallery awaiting the $50,000 Seoul
Open even before the semi finals. As they sat in the Seoul Plaza in
the shadow of City Hall flanked by an array of imposing neon festooned
blocks, there was a dance show to enjoy.
Eight finals in a row for Natalie ...
Then the serious business began as second seed Natalie Grinham
and opponent Tania Bailey entered the arena. The last time
fourth seed Bailey had played Grinham was the quarter finals of the
World Open in Belfast in November. There she had lost in competitive
straight games.
Here she showed little sign of the ‘niggly abductor’ as she termed it,
but had a bigger problem to deal with. Diminutive Grinham had been
decidedly parsimonious, dropping only four points in her first two
rounds – and showed few initial signs of generosity here.
Going in short regularly, hunting down the riposte, Bailey could only
gamely pick up morsels on the few inviting opportunities which
occurred for the first two games. Grinham was two ahead and cruising.
Yet as the third unfolded it was all change as the Australian showed
fallibility when stretched. Tinned volleys and some immaculate Bailey
length propelled her to a 7/0 lead. And although Grinham moved into a
more conservative mode and closed the gap, Bailey was back in the
match.
The Grinham flicks and floats continued. The strong Bailey volleying
too. Grinham scampered, Bailey strode. All the while Grinham was
edging home. The mix of lobs, boasts and drops blended with drives had
enthralled the crowd who clearly wanted the English player to continue
her fightback, but they were to be disappointed as the Australian
booked her final spot – for the eighth event in a row.
51 wins in a row for Nicol ...
As for the second bout, a lot has happened since Jenny Duncalf was
standing two love and 6/1 up against Nicol David at the Qatar Airways
Challenge last July. She lost that, David has consolidated at the very
peak and Duncalf found her confidence deserting her.
That said, while David has motored on, Duncalf has picked up her own
momentum. The British Nationals title in February was hers, and her
first round win over Vicky Botwright added still more bounce.
The match very much mirrored the first, but without the comeback.
David was compelling all around the court, especially at the front,
with Duncalf forced to flounder.
All over after 20 minutes, much to the disappointment of the loser.
It
is now 51 wins for David, with the prospect of another epic battle
with Grinham tomorrow. As she said, "It’s another final, another
country and it will be awesome to play. It depends who is on their
game on the day."
The players then proceeded to sign autographs for a queue that was
100yds long, stretching across the plaza lawn, and demonstrating yet
again how the Seoul Open has been embraced by the city.
Seoul can hardly wait for the final showdown ...
"Everybody
is putting the pressure on me to beat Nicol, but I am just going to
play my game and see how it goes. The pressure is on her."
"I
was a little disappointed as I felt like I played well, especially the
way I came back in the third. But I hit what I thought were a lot of
winners that Natalie got back. You think you’ve won the point and you
have to do it all over again.
"I’d love to be one of the top two but they are just a little ahead of
of us. I am one of the players challenging but I know I have a bit of
work to do."
"It was always going to be hard as Nicol is playing very well at the
minute. I was looking forward to playing her but I had a bad start to
the second which did not help things and it was too little too late in
the third.
"But as I wasn’t seeded I am really pleased to have made a WISPA Gold
semi again."
No chance of an upset in the first quarter final of the $50,000 Seoul
Open. Both players had created one in the first round and the two
non-seeds, Jenny Duncalf and Shelley Kitchen, were now drawn
together.
After a bright day, a clear but milder evening greeted the players.
Duncalf was quickly into her stride, poaching winners while Kitchen
was getting started. But having quickly lost the first the New
Zealander began to dominate more rallies, with her heavy driving and
solid volleying. More recently she has upped her percentage of short
shots and the variety was forcing Duncalf to work hard to stay in
the rallies. But Duncalf was also generating some winners and
finding the back corners herself. This enabled the English player to
edge the second game too.
The pattern was similar in the third, but this time Kitchen had her
nose in front, climbed to 7/5, was pegged back and one sensed that
Duncalf was going to complete the job until a badly misjudged drop
allowed Kitchen to move to game ball, which she took with a rasping
forehand.
Duncalf was still thinking about what might have been as she came
out for the fourth and looseness saw her go 5/1 down. But she
steadied the ship, Kitchen faltered and didn't pick up another
point.
24 year old Duncalf last reached a WISPA Tour semi final as long ago
as July 2006, where coincidentally at the Qatar Airways Classic she
beat Vicky Botwright as here, before coming up against Nicol David,
as here, tomorrow.
“It is good to be in another Gold semi. I like the glass court as it
rewards a good length and for taking it in short. I also like
playing outside too”. All well then.
Perhaps a case of back where she belongs as her quality is that of
the top ten; and now that her confidence tanks are refilled she
surely will continue to rise again.
There would definitely be another English player in the last four as
two met in the second quarter. Laura Lengthorn has been playing
consistently well this year, but Tania Bailey was now at an all time
WISPA high of four in the world.
Bailey didn't appear to be moving totally freely, perhaps related to
the strapping on her right thigh. It was marginal, but her
expression and demeanour were a little downbeat. Not that it stopped
her competing fully, nor indeed to win the first. There were more
instances where she was only close to being 100% going forward on
the forehand wing, and Lengthorn took the second. When she was 8/1
down in the third question marks appeared, but she began to climb,
and look ever more solid. While the comeback ran out of steam at 8/7
and Lengthorn went 2/1 ahead, Bailey's upward momentum continued in
the fourth and she was always a couple of points ahead based around
punchy volleying. The fifth was more straightforward and the window
of opportunity passed for Lengthorn.
Afterwards, Bailey confirmed the slight injury. “I had a slight
abductor strain before leaving for Kuwait. I felt it slightly again
before playing playing Nicol in Qatar and not since until this
morning. It is just a little niggly”. But she was quick to add that
it was only slight and, “The games I lost were because Laura's
length was good, taking it early and hitting the targets”.
Nicol David has long been regarded as the future of women's squash,
tonight, in her clothing she was the fuschia! Her opponent Alison
Waters made her work for the win, but the world champion was
relentless. She moved Waters around, though the world number nine
has developed resilience to match her strength and control, and took
a lead in the second before another characteristic David late surge.
For the large crowd it was much like watching a firework display –
ooohs and aaahs peppering the air as the players chased down balls.
After 40 minutes it was all over. David had won her 50th consecutive
major match, the last defeat coming over thirteen months ago in the
Bronze Medal play-off at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Since
then she has taken nine WISPA Tour titles along with winning the
Asian Games. Only another four and a bit years to get to match
Jahangir Khan!
Natalie Grinham booked her place in the last four with a
comprehensive win over Madeline Perry. The Irish number one couldn't
develop a rhythm and left the court bemoaning a poor way to finish
her Seoul experience.
Another open-air city centre experience beckons tomorrow when
Duncalf and Bailey try to prevent the latest in the David v Grinham
final battles.
50 candles for 50 wins Nicol's cake presented by Andrew
Shelley and Seoul Squash Federation CEO
Kim Hak-Shin
[7] Laura Lengthorn (ENG) bt Elise Ng (HKG) 9/3, 9/7, 9/4 (33m)
[4] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Kasey Brown (AUS) 9/1, 9/2, 9/3 (42m)
[6] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Eun Ok Park (KOR) 9/3, 9/2, 10/8 (30m)
[2] Natalie Grinham (Aus) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9/2, 9/0, 9/0 (21m)
First round in two parts ... WISPA reports from Seoul
The qualifiers had been drawn into slots, the composition of the main
draw complete, and players split into two halves for the first round
draw of the $50,000 Seoul Women’s Open in Korea.
The afternoon shift was at the sprawling Sejong University which
features four glass back courts; with the evening four matches back at
the central city Seoul Plaza where the rest of the play would take
place.
Same again for Shelley
Third seed Rachael Grinham was looking to avoid back to back
losses against Shelley Kitchen. She failed. The rangy Kiwi had
clearly built confidence from her win against Grinham in the Sheikha
Al Saad Open earlier in the month and was taking advantage of an
opponent in two minds.
The first two games saw the Australian floating the ball, but more
often than not setting up a straightforward kill. She bounced and
floated, sometimes spun, but was being taken apart. She straightened
things up in the third and seemed back in the driving seat, but while
she edged ahead in the fourth Kitchen was always only a rally away
from parity. She was now pushing Grinham in shorter more often and it
was paying dividends.
Eventually the Kiwi, now wearing blue and white rather than usual
black, profited from a misjudgement at seven all where Grinham opened
the court and instead hit the ball back to her floundering opponent
who was able to create an opening herself. At match ball a long rally
ended with a Grinham flick into the top of the tin and she was out.
Fourth seed Tania Bailey had no such problem. Although you
wouldn't have known who was the stronger player at the back of the
court, Bailey was able to cover Kasey Brown's short shots
better than the Australian could manage, and after forty two minutes
the Englishwoman was in the quarters.
Jenny wins English battle
There would certainly be a countrywoman following her as the next
match featured fifth seed Vicky Botwright and Jenny Duncalf.
Botwright came to Korea on the back of a semi final slot at Kuwait but
after a trough Duncalf was playing with more confidence of late.
It was a genuine all-court match, full of long rallies, attempted
winners and superlative retrieving. Even without the court having
fully settled down from recent sanding the players were able to go at
it toe to toe.
At different times both players had the ascendancy but Duncalf’s
athleticism never faltered for a moment, and she hung in. While
Botwright did manage to take the fourth, but only after squandering a
7/4 lead, she contrived to lose the match from 6/3 up in the decider
by virtue of a sequence of six errors at the end of protracted
exchanges. Another seed ousted.
In the last match of the afternoon Elise Ng put in another spry
performance but the qualifier couldn't match the strength and accuracy
of seventh seed Laura Lengthorn who set up an all English
quarter final against Bailey.
Players and officials dashed back into the city centre to be ready for
the evening action to begin at Seoul Plaza. Another pleasingly large
crowd had gathered, the TV set up by Seoul Squash in place and a
number of outdoor heaters thoughtfully provided by the organisers to
help combat a cool to cold evening were pumping.
Perry ends home hopes
Second seed Natalie Grinham was in no mood to follow her sister
out of the championship and never let opponent Sharon Wee
settle. Her opposing quarter finalist became known when Madeline
Perry beat Korean wild card Eun Ok Park. But not without a
struggle in the end. Park had arrived from across town, but Perry had
only landed the previous afternoon after winning the Irish Open.
The sixth see took the first two games comfortably but an altogether
different Park came out for the third. Much more of a handful. The 29
year old showed a solid game that was matching Perry.
A game ball was secured by the Korean at 8/7, much to the delight of
the crowd – and then lost to disappointing aaahhs. That was her only
glimmer as a relieved Perry escaped from the need to play a fourth.
The
final two matches of the evening saw Nicol David and Alison
Waters record straight games wins to meet each other tomorrow.
Waters had to save a game ball in the second before reeling in
Rebecca Chiu, and it was Latasha Khan who was put to the
sword by the World No 1.
A quarter final win by David tomorrow will be her fiftieth consecutive
victory. But she will need to get to fifty two to lift the Seoul Open
crown. Others, including recent regular finalist Natalie Grinham, will
want to have a say in the matter too ...
"I
played well against her in Kuwait and I just wanted to do well again.
"I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, just to show that my win
there was not a fluke."
"I'd been playing well and controlling the match for long periods, at
6/3 down in the fifth it was not looking good so I thought keep it in
play, just keep it in play and wait for her errors. I didn't want to
force anything."
"She played really well
in the third. Went for a few winners and they came off."
"This was the first big match in Korea and I had pressure. I am sorry
for the spectators that I could only relax and play my game in the
third."
Qualifying Finals,
24-Apr:
Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Chinatsu Matsui (JPN)
9/1, 9/2, 9/2 (38m) plays Bailey
Latasha Khan (USA) bt Sachiko Shinta (JPN)
9/1, 9/1, 9/0 (19m) plays David
Elise Ng (HKG) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA)
9/7, 9/7, 9/2 (38m) plays Lengthorn
Sharon Wee (MAS) bt Mami Nishio (JPN)
9/5, 9/1, 9/2 (24m) plays N Grinham
Japanese
follow Koreans
out of Seoul qualifying ... WISPA reports from Seoul
The final qualification round of the Seoul Open saw a repeat of the
first round; only this time it was thee Japanese players who went
out as opposed to the trio of Koreans the previous night.
But the play only started after a superb ceremony and show at the
glass court venue on Seoul Plaza. The Mayor of Seoul, Mr Oh, Se-Hun
delivered the opening televised address and went on court to hit a
ball; a female traditional drumming ensemble played; as did Shani, a
female rock band; a laser show drew gasps; as did the pyrotechnics.
Real wow factor, for sure.
The
Mayor offered hearty congratulations to organizers Seoul Squash
Federation, who, in conjunction with Korean Squash Federation were
putting on a great show for squash. Encouragingly, the city
government supported event should be come an annual staging, he
hoped.
Earlier in the day a press conference was held featuring around
forty journalists who were only too happy to spread word of the
event nationally.
The matches themselves with a place in the $50,000 main draw on
offer as were straightforward, but included an upset.
Italian number one Manuela Manetta having only this month broken
into the world top thirty might have been expected to get the better
of Elise Ng from Hong Kong, ranked 21 places below her. But Ng had
been training in Europe, won the Hellendoorn event in Netherlands
earlier in April and so was in form.
Ng edged both the first two games with the Italian seemingly at odds
with the cool conditions. Not being able to dominate the third ebbed
away from her too.
As she walked away frustrated with herself she could only give
expression to her feelings about the match saying “I didn’t feel
comfortable at all”. Meanwhile, Ng was using the same term in a more
positive vein. “I feel comfortable in Asia and I had got used to the
court. I knew it was a cold evening and I warmed up well and was
able to take the first two games, which was very important” she
explained. She now faces seventh seed Laura Lengthorn in the first
round.
The other three matches saw straight game defeats for the three
Japanese players, though left handed Chinatsu Matsui competed well
against Australian Kasey Brown, who was kept on court for thirty
eight minutes despite only losing a handful of points. She now also
faces an Englishwoman – fourth seed Tania Bailey.
After easing past Sachiko Shinta, Latasha Khan predicted she would
be drawn to face top seed Nicol David and she was proved correct.
Last match of the evening saw Malaysian Sharon Wee effectively snuff
out the challenge of Mami Nishio, whose willingness to run was
countered by precise play from Wee who now will open proceedings on
the all glass court against Natalie Grinham.
The Seoul Plaza court, imaginatively placed by Seoul Squash,
featuring big screen and a general set up comparable with any major
event in the world will now embrace the top ranked players when they
enter the fray at the last 16 stage.
Qualifying under way
in Seoul ... WISPA reports from Seoul
The glass court strikingly set in Seoul Plaza in the centre of South
Korea’s capital city hosted four of the qualification matches on the
first of six evenings that will provide a great visual boost for the
sport in Korea as a result of the TV, newspapers and posters across
the city. Arrangements by the Seoul Squash federation are clearly
hitting their target ...
But before this there were two matches earlier in the day played at
Sejong University, which also hosts half of the first round on
Wednesday.
One of these featured an all-Japanese match in which Chinatsu
Matsui lost a 7/3 lead in the second and was taken to four games
before booking a final qualification tie against top seed Kasey
Brown.
The other was a more easy affair in which Manuela Manetta,
now inside the WISPA top thirty for the first time at 27, beat
Vietnam based Swede Josefa Bertilsson 3/0. But while nineteen
year old Bertilsson lacks match practice she has pedigree as a
junior, covers the court at speed and looks set to move up the
rankings.
Appropriately enough, the first serve of the evening programme on
glass fell to a Korean player, Ga-Hye Kim. She served many
times more, but fewer than her opponent Latasha Khan, the
American dominating after a tight first game.
Kim, now a semi professional in the Korean BBQ Squad coached by Jae
Hun Lee, said it was a good experience, but also said “The
spectators were really interested and I am sorry that I did not do a
good job.”
Khan now plays Sachiko Shinta for a main draw place, the
Japanese player being given a walkover by fifth seed Christina Mak.
The Hong Kong number two had damaged ligaments in her back in
practice on the court.
Mak’s countrywoman Elise Ng fared better, but had to resist a
strong challenge from an unsung Song. Still at school in Seoul,
Sui-Mi Song showed great potential as she not only moved well
but had a strong touch at the front that kept Ng under pressure. In
the third the 16 year old saved two match balls at 7/8 before
getting a game ball herself before eventually tinning an overhead
and going out.
Two Koreans beaten, shortly to be followed by a third in the last
match. Japanese number one Mami Nishio would have expected a
tough battle from Eun Chan Ahn, but the physical education
student started slowly in the cool of the night. Quickly two down
she adjusted to the court and her own nervousness to move 7/3 up in
the third before being reeled in.
It will now be left to Korean champion Eun Ok Park, the wild
card, to fly the national flag on Wednesday when she and the rest of
the rest of the draw await the four winners tomorrow.
The
event comes close on the heels of an announcement that Incheon,
Seoul's airport neighbour, will host the 2014 Asian Games,
featuring squash. And with the glass court set on a major landmark,
the Seoul Metropolitan Government - together with supporting
sponsors including Samsung, SK Telecom, Korea Tourism, BBQChicken,
Financial News, Head, Gatorade, Camko Bank and Sejong University -
have ensured the best possible showcase for the sport in South
Korea.
Matsui takes a break
South
Korea will host an exciting new $50,000 championship following a
breakthrough new agreement between the Seoul Squash Federation
and WISPA.
The
Seoul Open, the fifth WISPA Gold event of the year, will
be staged on a state-of-the-art all-glass court in the famous Seoul Plaza,
in front of City Hall, from 23-28 April.
Featuring all of the top WISPA stars,
and boasting world-wide TV coverage, the Seoul City Open promises to
be a great addition to the Women's
tour this year.
"We have several
promising players here in Seoul and the
possibility for them not only to compete against the top world
players, but also to watch and learn from them, is a step that we
want to make.
"The Seoul City Open will also
undoubtedly attract widespread media attention for the event and
squash – in addition to giving the thousands of people who use the
Plaza the chance to see the sport in action too."
President, Seoul Squash
Federation
"The city of
Seoul has a great record in staging major events such as the
Olympics and soccer's World Cup.
"The innovative staging of our new
event will undoubtedly make the Seoul City Open one of the standout
events on our Tour, in addition to dramatically raising the profile
of our sport in South Korea.
"This great initiative from Seoul Squash Federation has already
grabbed the enthusiasm of the players and I am certain the Korean
squash enthusiasts and media will rapidly follow suit."
"The
championship will definitely be back and bigger next year. I think
that Squash is a really great sport for Seoul and our citizens.
"Today
I was more relaxed than for a while when I went on court, not that I
am sure why. When I was ahead I knew that I had to keep focused and I
did that for a change.
"I
was thinking too much and my focus wasn’t right, but she played really
well. I was trying to do things but she got comfortable and I couldn’t
find my way in.
"Everybody
is putting the pressure on me to beat Nicol, but I am just going to
play my game and see how it goes. The pressure is on her."
"I
was a little disappointed as I felt like I played well, especially the
way I came back in the third. But I hit what I thought were a lot of
winners that Natalie got back. You think you’ve won the point and you
have to do it all over again.
"I
played well against her in Kuwait and I just wanted to do well again.
"The city of
Seoul has a great record in staging major events such as the
Olympics and soccer's World Cup. 