17th Women's World Teams
Squash Championships 2010
Palmerston North, New Zealand
28th November - 4 December 2010
England has joined New Zealand and Australia in the semifinals of the 2010 Women's World Team Squash Championships in Palmerston North.
The top seeds have won the first two matches of their quarterfinal against Ireland, meaning the third and final match is a dead rubber. Ireland's chances weren't helped by the absence of their top player Madeline Perry, who sat out the clash with a shoulder problem.
Laura Massaro was simply too good for Laura Mylotte in the opening match, winning 11-2, 11-4, 11-7. World number two Jenny Duncalf then wrapped up the tie, with an 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 victory over Aisling Blake.
Laura Massaro won the dead rubber 11-3, 11-6.
England will play New Zealand in the semis, after the fifth seeded kiwis edged France 2-1. Joelle King got the home side off to a flyer with an 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 demolition of Isabelle Stoehr. Camille Serme leveled the scores again for France, with an 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 win over Jaclyn Hawkes before Shelley Kitchen, who turned 31 today, gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about as she downed Coline Aumard 11-5, 11-5, 11-4.
The New Zealand players wore black arm bands today, in recognition of the 29 miners who lost their lives at the Pike River Coal Mine. The crowd also observed the nationwide two minutes silence at 2 o'clock.
Earlier, Australia was given a fright by ninth seeded USA, edging to a 2-1 victory. The second seeded Aussies got off to a flyer with Kasey Brown beating Latasha Khan in straight games, but Natalie Grainger turned things around for the US in the second match, bouncing back from two games down to beat Rachael Grinham in five. It turned out to be merely a speed bump for Australia as Sarah Fitz-Gerald strolled to a 11-4, 11-1, 11-2.
Egypt and Malaysia will square off in the last of the quarterfinals later this evening.
Result
(2) Australia) def (9) USA 2-1
2. Kasey Brown def 2. Latasha Khan 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 (27 minutes) 1. Rachael Grinham lost to 1. Natalie Grainger 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 10-12 (49 minutes) 3. Sarah Fitz-Gerald def 4. Olivia Blatchford 11-4, 11-1, 11-2 (18 minutes)
(5) New Zealand def (6) France 2-1
2. Joelle King def 2. Isabelle Stoehr 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 (27 minutes) 1. Jaclyn Hawkes lost to 1. Camille Serme 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 (26 minutes) 3. Shelley Kitchen def 3. Coline Aumard 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (24 minutes)
(1) England def (7) Ireland 3-0
2. Laura Massaro def 3. Laura Mylotte 11-2, 11-4, 11-7 1. Jenny Duncalf def 2. Aisling Blake 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (37 minutes) 3. Tania Bailey def 4. Zoe Barr 11-3, 11-6 (15 minutes)
Gary Denvir
Media Manager
Women's World Team Squash Championships
027 273 9446
