Duncalf Digs Deep To Vanquish Vanessa

England's Jenny Duncalf extended her giant-killing run in the Women's Carol Weymuller US Open to reach the final of the WISPA Gold event at Heights Casino in Brooklyn, New York.

After overcoming her second-seeded England team-mate Vicky Botwright in the quarter-finals, the fifth seed from Harrogate in Yorkshire twice came from behind in the semi-final to upset Dutch opponent Vanessa Atkinson, the third seed, 2-9, 9-3, 2-9, 9-7, 9-7.

Duncalf, now in her fifth WISPA World Tour final, will face top seed Natalie Grainger, the Pan American Games champion from the USA who is aiming for her fifth WISPA World Tour title this year on home soil.

Grainger, from Washington DC, denied Shelley Kitchen the best 28th birthday present she could have hoped for when she beat the New Zealander 9-4, 9-1, 9-3.

The win takes the US champion through to her 34th Tour final since 1996.

Grainger and Duncalf's WISPA head-to-head record is 2-2, but whilst the US favourite prevailed in their two most recent meetings, it was Duncalf that triumphed in their previous clash in the US Open, in October 2003.

Semi-finals:
[1] Natalie Grainger (USA) bt [4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 9-4, 9-1, 9-3
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt [3] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 2-9, 9-3, 2-9, 9-7, 9-7