25-May, Final:

[1] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [3] Laura L.Massaro (Eng)
           9/2, 9/5, 9/6

Grainger retains Texas title

Natalie Grainger displayed her magic once again in the Lone Star State by winning the 2008 Central Bank Texas Open in straight games over a very feisty Laura Lengthorn-Massaro.

There were many long exchanges in the second and third games that forced Grainger to remain focused, but in the end the American national champion cranked it up a notch to make sure she would secure her second, on the trot, Texas Open victory, and her 18th career title from 36 finals.

To Lengthorn-Massaro's credit she displayed amazing resolve in the face of a very powerful opponent it certainly looks like she will have a bright future on the WISPA tour.
   

10/8, 9/1, 9/5

[7] Isabelle Stoehr

 9/2, 9/5, 9/6

[3] Laura L.Massaro

6/9, 1/9, 9/0, 9/1, 9/2

[2] Shelley Kitchen

21-May, Qualifying finals:

Alana Miller (Can)  bt Heba El Torky (Egy)                 10/8, 9/5, 9/3
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Laura Mylotte (Irl)           9/7, 9/0, 9/4
Georgina Stoker (Eng) bt Tara Mullins (Can)               9/5, 9/7, 3/9, 9/5
Joelle King (Nzl) bt Runa Reta (Can)                          9/7, 9/4, 9/4

20-May, Qualifying first round:

Alana Miller (Can)   bye
Heba El Torky (Egy) bt Kylie Lindsay (Nzl)                  9/7, 10/8, 9/0
Laura Mylotte (Irl) bt Nouran El Torky (Egy)                9/5, 9/4, 9/6
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Laura Pomportes (Fra)     9/0, 9/2, 9/6
Georgina Stoker (Eng) bt Stephanie Edmison (Can)     9/4, 9/1, 9/2
Tara Mullins (Can) bt Sarah Parsons (Can)                 9/1, 9/3, 9/5
Joelle King (Nzl) bt Larissa Stephenson (Nzl)               9/2, 9/3, 9/3
Runa Reta (Can) bt Tina Rix (Eng)                             2/9, 9/4, 9/10, 9/3, 9/3


2007 Event    2006 Event    2005 Event   

24-May, Semis:
Laura outlasts Kitchen
in Texas upset

England's Laura Lengthorn-Massaro recovered from two games down to upset second seed Shelley Kitchen in the semi-finals of the Central Bank Texas Open.

Though ranked five places lower than the New Zealander in the world top 20, third seed Lengthorn-Massaro marked up her fourth successive Tour win over Kitchen as she battled to a victory which secured her ninth appearance in a WISPA final.

The 24-year-old from Lancashire will face strong favourite Natalie Grainger, the US and Pan American Games champion from Washington DC who ended Isabelle Stoehr's brave run when she beat the seventh seed from France in straight games.

Grainger, a former world number one, will be making her 36th final appearance on the WISPA Tour.
 

Qualifying complete in Houston

The four qualifiers for the 2008 edition of the Texas Open were decided at the Downtown Club in Houston.

Canada's qualifying top seed Alana Miller beat Egyptian teenager Heba El Torky in straight games. The first game was very closely contested. El Torky had a large lead and a game ball at 8-5 before losing 6 straight points. In the second and third games the more experienced Miller volleyed more and didn’t allow El Torky to get into her rhythm.

Karen Kronemeyer, a member of the Dutch team that secured the silver medal in the recent European Team Championships beat Ireland's Laura Mylotte. The first game was tight with Mylottte coming back from 4-7. Wonderful racquet from Kronemeyer dominated the second game and she brought it up even further in the third as Mylotte pushed her with some very long and intricate rallies.

In the longest match of the day England's Georgina Stoker prevented a Canadian double as she beat Tara Mullins. This was the best match of the tournament so far and was much closer than the score indicates. Stoker retrieved beautifully and responded to all of Mullin’s shot making.

To complete the lineup New Zealand's Joelle King's hard-hitting allowed her to control her match against second seed Runa Reta, completing the upset in straight games.