Kronemeyer & Blake Burst Into Montreal Quarters

Dutch qualifier Karen Kronemeyer and unseeded Irish international Aisling Blake claimed unexpected places in the quarter-finals of the Women's Atwater Cup after causing notable upsets in the first round of the WISPA World Tour Silver squash event at Club Atwater in Montreal, Canada.

Kronemeyer, fresh from her Tour title triumph in last month's NY Capital District Open in New York, recovered from the loss of the first game to beat Italy's No8 seed Manuela Manetta 6-9, 9-6, 9-4, 7-9, 9-7.

The reward for the 26-year-old from The Hague is a clash with fourth seed Isabelle Stoehr, the French number one who despatched Alana Miller, one of two Canadians in the first round, 9-2, 9-6, 9-4.

Blake benefited from the premature withdrawal of US star Latasha Khan, the sixth seed from Seattle who conceded the match after just one game.

The Dublin-born 26-year-old now faces top seed Vanessa Atkinson, the former world number one from the Netherlands who battled for three games to overcome New Zealander Joelle King 10-8, 9-4, 10-8.

Irish interest in Montreal is led by Madeline Perry, the No2 seed from Banbridge, near Belfast. Perry beat Camille Serme 9-5, 9-2, 9-4 - but it was a disappointing outcome for the French qualifier in her final match as a junior.

Serme, who boasts a distinguished junior career which climaxed last month in Norway where she became the first player in history to win a third European Junior U19 Championship title, turns 19 tomorrow (Friday).

1st round:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Joelle King (NZL) 10-8, 9-4, 10-8
Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [6] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-1 ret.
[3] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Laura Hill (ENG) 9-1, 9-3, 9-5
[5] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Tara Mullins (CAN) 9-4, 9-1, 9-3
[Q] Karen Kronemeyer (NED) bt [8] Manuela Manetta (ITA) 6-9, 9-6, 9-4, 7-9, 9-7
[4] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Alana Miller (CAN) 9-2, 9-6, 9-4
[7] Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt [Q] Laura Mylotte (IRL) 3-9, 9-6, 9-5, 1-9, 9-7
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Camille Serme (FRA) 9-5, 9-2, 9-4