Grinham Leads Netherlands Into European Semis In Malmo

Australian-born world No4 Natalie Grinham celebrated her long-awaited debut for her new country when she beat Denmark number one Line Hansen in straight games to ensure Netherlands a place in the women's semi-finals of the European Team Championships in Malmo.

A record 21 nations are competing in the 32nd staging of the women's European Squash Federation championship, alongside a record-equalling 27 countries in the 37th men's ESF tournament being staged in the Swedish city for the first time.

After making history for Australia by becoming the first player to win three Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2006, Grinham became a Dutch national in February 2008 - and is making her Dutch team debut in Malmo. The highest-ranked woman in the championships followed team-mate Vanessa Atkinson's 13-11, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 win over Danish stalwart Ellen Petersen by defeating Hansen 11-2, 11-6, 11-3.

Squad number four Orla Noom ensured a maximum points win for the second seeds in Pool B with a 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6 win over Dane Marie-Louise Feddern.

Top women's seeds England - expected to face Netherlands in the final for the seventh year in a row - confidently beat Germany, the fifth seeds, 3/0 in Pool A to ensure their place in the last four play-offs.

The only surprise in the men's event came in Pool C when 17th seeds Czech Republic recovered from a match down to beat Hungary, the 16th seeds, 3/1.

But top seeds England and France again survived unscathed - title-holders England beating British rivals Wales 4/0 and second seeds France despatching sixth seeds Switzerland by the same margin.

Men's 2nd qualifying rounds - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [5] WALES 4-0
Peter Barker bt David Evans 13-11, 11-2, 11-7
Alister Walker bt Alex Gough 11-9, 8-11, 11-1, 11-4 (34m)
Daryl Selby bt Peter Creed 6-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5
Adrian Grant bt Rob Sutherland 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (37m)

[4] GERMANY bt [8] SPAIN 3-1
Simon Rosner lost to Borja Golan 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 6-11 (47m)
Stefan Leifels bt David Vidal 11-5, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9 (52m)
Andre Haschker bt Victor Montserrat 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (29m)
Jens Schoor bt Alejandro Garbi Caro 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11 (55m)

Pool B:
[2] FRANCE bt [6] SWITZERLAND 4-0
Gregory Gaultier bt Nicolas Mueller 11-3, 11-6, 11-6
Renan Lavigne bt Reiko Peter 11-4, 11-1, 11-7
Julien Balbo bt Kevin Villiger 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
Thierry Lincou bt Marcel Straub 11-5, 11-2, 11-5

[3] NETHERLANDS bt [7] SCOTLAND 4-0
Dylan Bennett bt Alan Clyne 6-11, 11-7, 14-12, 4-11, 11-5 (68m)
Sebastian Weenink bt Chris Small 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-9 (59m)
Rene Mijs bt Jamie MacAulay 4-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4, 11-7 (59m)
Piedro Schweertman bt Stuart Crawford 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 (38m)

Pool C:
[16] HUNGARY bt [25] POLAND 4-0
Mark Krajcsak bt Lukasz Nitka 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (18m)
Marton Szaboky bt Kamil Dominiak 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (22m)
Daniel Cseffalvay bt Maciek Maciantowicz 11-1, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9 (29m)
Sandor Fulop bt Marcin Kozik 11-2, 11-5, 11-8 (20m)

[9] IRELAND bt [24] GIBRALTAR 4-0
Liam Kenny bt Anthony Brindle 11-6, 11-2, 11-8 (22m)
Arthur Gaskin bt Christian Navas 11-2, 11-5, 11-7
Niall Rooney bt Mark Tewkesbury 11-6, 11-5, 11-4
Derek Ryan bt Stephen Shacaluga 11-7, 11-2, 11-0

[17] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [16] HUNGARY 3-1
Lukas Jelinek lost to Mark Krajcsak 3-11, 7-11, 10-12 (41m)
Jaroslav Cech bt Marton Szaboky 13-11, 11-9, 11-0 (35m)
Ondrej Ertl bt Daniel Varga 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3 (52m)
Petr Martin bt Sandor Fulop 11-8, 11-4, 12-10 (37m)

[9] IRELAND bt [25] POLAND 4-0
John Rooney bt Wojciech Nowisz 11-2, 11-4, 11-3 (20m)
Arthur Gaskin bt Kamil Dominiak 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (20m)
Niall Rooney bt Maciek Maciantowicz 11-2, 11-2, 11-8 (18m)
Derek Ryan bt Lukasz Nitka 11-2, 11-2, 11-5 (14m)

Pool D:
[15] AUSTRIA bt [26] NORWAY 3-1
Aqeel Rehman bt Kristian Solhave 11-2, 11-6, 11-0 (29m)
Stefan Brauneis bt Hans-Olav Torgersen 11-6, 11-7, 11-1 (29m)
Lukas Gnauer bt Rashid Younis 11-7, 14-12, 11-7 (28m)
Jakob Dirnberger lost to Kim Are Killingberg 6-11, 6-11, 1-11 (16m)

[10] FINLAND bt [23] RUSSIA 4-0
Olli Tuominen bt Alexei Severinov 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 (31m)
Heikki Kononen bt George Manuchin 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 (30m)
Hameed Ahmed bt Anton Shurenko 11-0, 11-0, 11-1 (15m)
Matias Tuomi bt Valery Litvinko 11-4, 11-1, 11-1 (19m)

[15] AUSTRIA bt [18] LUXEMBOURG 4-0
Aqeel Rehman bt Nathan Sneyd 11-3, 11-4, 11-9 (29m)
Lukas Gnauer bt Daniel Hutchines 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (30m)
Christian Coufal bt Stephane Ayache 10-12, 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 16-14
Stefan Brauneis bt Sanjay Raval 11-4, 11-3, 11-9 (23m)

[10] FINLAND bt [26] NORWAY 4-0
Olli Tuominen bt Kristian Solhave 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (21m)
Heikki Kononen bt Hans-Olav Torgersen 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 (33m)
Hameed Ahmed bt Ronny Aasbo 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (33m)
Matias Tuomi bt Kim Are Killingberg 5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5 (39m)

Pool E:
[11] DENMARK bt [22] LATVIA 4-0
Rasmus Nielsen bt Arnis Tihvinskis 11-5, 11-1, 11-1
Kim Poulsen bt Margers Zeitmanis 11-1, 11-2, 11-1
Mikkel Pedersen bt Gunars Prizevoits 11-3, 11-1, 11-4
Michael Frilund bt Kaspars Purgailis 11-7, 11-4, 11-7

[14] BELGIUM bt [27] GREECE 4-0
Wim van Asten bt Fabian Kalaitzis 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 12-10 (38m)
Gregory Lecerf bt Konstantinos Kargiotis 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (20m)
Jonas Snoeck bt Andreas Hiotakis 11-1, 11-5, 11-1 (17m)
Sam van Brusselen bt Petros Tzamaloukas 11-6, 13-11, 11-5 (27m)

[11] DENMARK bt [27] GREECE 4-0
Rasmus Nielsen bt Fabian Kalaitzis 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (39m)
Danny Knudsen bt Konstantinos Kargiotis 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (24m)
Mikkel Pedersen bt Andreas Hiotakis 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (24m)
Kristian Frost Olesen bt Petros Tzamaloukas 11-6, 11-8, 11-2 (24m)

[14] BELGIUM bt [19] ISRAEL 3-1
Wim van Asten bt Ido Avron 11-9, 11-9, 11-5
Gregory Lecerf bt Nadav Wilensky 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8
Mats Raemen bt Nir Zisman 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8
Sam van Brusselen lost to Nir Arkin 7-11, 11-6, 10-12, 6-11

Pool F:
[13] ITALY bt [21] UKRAINE 4-0
Jose Facchini bt Rusian Sorochynskvi 11-2, 11-6, 11-4 (20m)
Andrea Torricini bt Kostyantyn Rybalchenko 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (28m)
Mirko Pareccini bt Artem Shandybin 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (20m)
Andrea Capella bt Dmytro Shcherbakov 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 (25m)

[12] SWEDEN bt [20] SLOVENIA 4-0
Christian Drakenberg bt Klemen Gutman 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (29m)
Gustav Detter bt Miha Kavas 11-4, 11-2, 11-6 (40m)
Henrik Lofvenborg bt Rozle Langus 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (40m)
Rasmus Hult bt Martin Mosnik 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (24m)

Women's 2nd qualifying rounds - Pool A:
[1] ENGLAND bt [5] GERMANY 3-0
Laura Lengthorn-Massaro bt Sina Wall 11-4, 11-7, 11-2 (17m)
Jenny Duncalf bt Pamela Hathway 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (27m)
Tania Bailey bt Simone Korell 11-6, 11-3, 11-2 (17m)

[4] IRELAND bt [8] BELGIUM 3-0
Aisling Blake bt Annabel Romedenne 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (28m)
Madeline Perry bt Kim Hannes 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 (17m)
Zoe Barr bt Yara Delagrange 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 (18m)

Pool B:
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [6] DENMARK 3-0
Vanessa Atkinson bt Ellen Petersen 13-11, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5
Natalie Grinham bt Line Hansen 11-2, 11-6, 11-3
Orla Noom bt Marie-Louise Feddern 10-12, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6

[3] FRANCE bt [7] WALES 3-0
Camille Serme bt Stacey Preece 11-1, 11-5, 11-7
Isabelle Stoehr bt Deon Saffery 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9
Maud Duplomb bt Natalie Pritchard 11-5, 13-11, 11-7

Pool C:
[9] ITALY bt [17] RUSSIA 3-0
Chiara Ferrari bt Ekaterina Marusan 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (17m)
Manuela Manetta bt Olga Petrukhina 11-2, 11-0, 11-3 (14m)
Veronica Favero Camp bt Natalia Zapevalova 11-1, 11-5, 11-2 (13m)

Pool D:
[10] SPAIN bt [18] GREECE 3-0
Xisela Aranda Nunez bt Seirena Kazamia 11-4, 11-2, 11-7 (16m)
Elisabet Sado Garriga bt Eliza Kargioti 11-4, 12-10, 11-1 (16m)
Margaux Moros-Pitarch bt Nikoleta Pozidi 11-3, 11-2, 11-3 (14m)

Pool E:
[14] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [19] HUNGARY 2-1
Anna Klimondova lost to Edina Szombati 4-11, 7-11, 9-11 (21m)
Olga Ertlova bt Helga Kecse-Nagy 11-3, 11-4, 11-1
Hana Vagnerova bt Krisztina Szekely 11-7, 11-7, 11-5

Pool F:
[13] AUSTRIA bt [21] POLAND 3-0
Pamela Pancis bt Anna Jurkun 11-2, 11-2, 11-5 (13m)
Birgit Coufal bt Dominika Witkowska 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 (14m)
Sandra Polak bt Anna Sikorska 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (18m)

[12] SCOTLAND bt [20] LUXEMBOURG 3-0
Claire Kidd bt Claudia Mich 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 (15m)
Frania Gillen-Buchert bt Sandra Denis 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 (20m)
Lisa Aitken bt Francoise Donven 11-1, 11-1, 11-5 (23m)