Grinham Grabs First WISPA Title of the Year

After rounding off 2006 with a WISPA World Tour title success in the Monte Carlo Classic, Australia's Natalie Grinham began her 2007 campaign in winning style, clinching the title in The Marsh Apawamis Open, the first major women's squash event of the year, in Rye, USA.

Grinham, despite being the third seed, was in her third successive WISPA final - and was the form favourite at the Apawamis Club. However, her opponent Vicky Botwright, the seventh seed from England, was also pleased with the results of the work she had put in following the disappointment of an early exit from last November's World Open.

The elfin-like Grinham, winner of a record three Commonwealth Games gold medals last March, covered the court as speedily as ever. After early exchanges, the pair settled down and the error rates became low.

The match was a demonstration of all-court play and racket-work of the highest order. The loser may have only managed a uniform three points per game but the 47 minute duration of the encounter speaks eloquently of the rallying.

Grinham, winner of her maiden WISPA title at the same event four years ago, clinched victory with an audacious drop shot from the back of the court - at which point much of the capacity crowd rose to applaud the Queenslander's 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 win.

"I was happy with that," said the younger Grinham sister afterwards. "The match was hard, but as she beat me last year I was pleased to get one back. It has been a good start for the year."

Botwright added: "I knew Natalie was the in form player, so I prepared myself mentally for a tough match. But to be honest I think I played better than I have for a long while, so I am really pleased.

"To get to a Gold final and play well in the very first event of the year is a great start to my campaign to get higher than my best ranking of five."

The match, according to Tournament Organiser Peter Briggs, was a fitting climax to 20 years of Marsh sponsorship at Apawamis.

Briggs was able to make the new champion's day even more memorable when he presented Natalie Grinham with the winner's Breitling watch - a highly appropriate additional prize following the loss of her own watch earlier in the morning!

Final:
[3] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt [7] Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (47m)