Seeds Survive Opening Classic Encounters

The Women's Monte Carlo Classic - the 12th staging of this popular WISPA World Tour squash event at the Stade Louis II in the Monaco capital - has attracted a high-class field. And the top eight seeds survived the first round to face further action in the quarter-finals of this year-ending $31,500 championship.

Australian sister Natalie Grinham and Rachael Grinham overcame first round opponents in straight games as they head towards a predicted meeting in the final - their first since contesting the World Open climax in Madrid in October.

Top seed Natalie, the defending champion, despatched USA's Latasha Khan 9-3, 9-1, 9-2 in 32 minutes, while Rachael, the reigning World Open and British Open champion who is the second seed, defeated English qualifier Laura Hill 9-7, 9-2, 9-0 in 39 minutes.

In her bid to reach the final for the third successive year, fourth seed Vanessa Atkinson took 45 minutes to overcome Dutch compatriot Annelize Naude 9-3, 7-9, 10-9, 9-2.

The 2005 champion from The Hague will now face England's Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, after the fifth seed from Lancashire beat English qualifier Lauren Siddall 9-3, 9-2, 9-5.

1st round:
[1] Natalie Grinham (AUS) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-3, 9-1, 9-2 (32m)
[7] Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA) 9-4, 9-1, 9-1 (32m)
[4] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Annelize Naude (NED) 9-3, 7-9, 10-9, 9-2 (45m)
[5] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-3, 9-2, 9-5 (32m)
[8] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 9-6, 9-4, 9-5 (64m)
[3] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) bt Line Hansen (DEN) 9-4, 9-3, 9-4 (42m)
[6] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt [Q] Sarah Kippax (ENG) 8-10, 9-7, 9-2, 4-9, 9-4 (66m)
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Laura Hill (ENG) 9-7, 9-2, 9-0 (39m)