Grayson Retains Victorian Open Crown

New Zealand's Campbell Grayson retained his Victorian Open title in style today in Melbourne when he defeated Australian hope Steven Finitsis in straight games in the final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre.

Grayson was always in control of the match against No8 seed Finitsis, the 30-year-old from Queensland who had two huge matches on the way to the decider and looked sluggish at times against the Kiwi number one.

The top-seeded Kiwi eased away with the first two games then held off a fast finishing Finitsis to clinch the third and win the seventh Tour title of his career 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 - and his second of the year.

"The first two games were even at the beginning but I managed to pull away in the middle, but he's a real fighter and I got a bit nervous when he started coming back at me," said 27-year-old Grayson.

"I managed to sneak that third game in the end."

Finitsis has now lost two finals in two weeks, but he gets a chance to make amends at next week's Tasmanian Open, where he is seeded third behind fellow countryman Mike Corren and Malaysian Ivan Yuen.

Queensland's Rachael Grinham claimed her first ever Victorian Open title when she downed New Zealander Megan Craig in the women's final in straight games.

The seventh-seeded Craig fought hard in the first two games before Grinham ran away with the third to win 11-8, 12-10, 11-2 and claim her 32nd title on the WSA World Tour.

It was a triumphant return to the all-glass court at MSAC for Grinham, who won the women's doubles and took silver in the women's singles at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The 36-year-old is still in great shape and said she was now targeting the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"I feel good and I'm playing well at the moment, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the year," she said after her win - her first WSA title for more than two years.

"At the moment it's just a case of me looking after my body - if I can move, I will play okay. I'm trying to look after myself and am aiming to be there at the Commonwealth Games."

Grinham's next outing will be as part of the Australian team at the World Games in Cali, Colombia, which begin on July 25.