Becky Bombs In Botwright Battle

Top seed Vicky Botwright survived her first test on the WISPA World Tour against Rebecca Botwright, beating her younger sister in straight games in the opening round of the Women's Texas Open at the Downtown Club in Houston, USA.

Playing in her first Tour event since winning a silver and bronze medal in last month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Botwright senior won 9-2 9-2 9-4 in 25 minutes to set up a quarter-final clash with sixth seed Rebecca Chiu.

The Asian Games champion from Hong Kong beat Italian qualifier Manuela Manetta 9-1, 9-6, 9-1.

Local interest in the WISPA Silver event is being led by Natalie Grainger, but the second seed from Washington was taken to the limit in the first game by Canadian qualifier Alana Miller before winning 10-9.

Grainger was then 8-3 up in the second game, when Miller conceded the match after suffering a foot injury - which was later diagnosed as plantars fascitis.

1st round:
[1] Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt Rebecca Botwright (ENG) 9-2, 9-2, 9-4 (25m)
[6] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt [Q] Manuela Manetta (ITA) 9-1, 9-6, 9-1 (37m)
[4] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt Melissa Martin (AUS) 9-6, 9-4, 10-9 (41m)
[5] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 9-0, 9-3, 9-1 (29m)
[7] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-7, 9-1, 9-4 (28m)
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 9-2, 9-5, 9-3 (24m)
[8] Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 9-4, 5-9, 9-5, 9-6 (66m)
[2] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [Q] Alana Miller (CAN) 10-9, 8-3 ret.