Briggs Breaks Grainger In Vassar College Upset

US favourite Natalie Grainger crashed out of the Women's Vassar College Class of 1932 Open after losing in four games to English qualifier Lauren Briggs in the first round of the WISPA World Tour event in Poughkeepsie in the US state of New York.

Briggs, the 26-year-old world No25 from London, defeated top seed Grainger - ranked 18 places higher - 9-2, 9-4, 5-9, 9-7 to earn a surprise quarter-final clash with New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen.

The fifth seed from Auckland, a bronze medallist in last month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, despatched Malaysia's Sharon Wee 9-5, 9-1, 9-4.

There was another upset in an all-British clash in the other half of the draw when Scotland's unseeded Pamela Nimmo beat England's US-based sixth seed Fiona Geaves 9-2, 4-9, 9-3, 9-3.

1st round:
[Q] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [1] Natalie Grainger (USA) 9-2, 9-4, 5-9, 9-7
[5] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt Sharon Wee (MAS) 9-5, 9-1, 9-4
[4] Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 4-9, 9-5, 9-6, 9-2
[7] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) bt [Q] Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-6, 9-1, 9-6
[8] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [Q] Runa Reta (CAN) 2-9, 9-4, 9-1, 2-9, 9-3
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Samantha Teran (MEX) 9-6, 10-8, 9-10, 9-5
Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt [6] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-2, 4-9, 9-3, 9-3
[2] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 9-1, 9-2, 9-4