Australia On Course For World Doubles Hat-Trick

Following the completion of the pools qualification rounds in the 3rd WSF World Doubles Championships in Melbourne, hosts Australia are well-positioned to claim all three titles at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre.

Last week's Australian Open singles champions Anthony Ricketts and Rachael Grinham - the top seeds in their respective doubles events - are leading Australia's charge as the hosts have claimed 50% of the places in the quarter-finals.

Ricketts and first-time partner Stewart Boswell have drawn the dangerous Aussie pairing of Paul Price and Timothy Manning, who earlier ousted third-seeded Indians Ritwik Bhattacharya and Saurav Ghosal, the 2004 runners-up.

In the bottom half of the draw, second-seeded Aussies Dan Jenson and Joseph Kneipp, unbeaten in the pool rounds, take on the highly-fancied Kiwi duo of Daniel Sharplin and Kashif Shuja.

Aussie pairings also dominate the women's event, with a place in the final already assured. Top seeds Rachael Grinham and Amanda Hopps take on Aussie youngsters Lisa Camilleri and Kelly Fowler.

Interestingly, five times World Open Singles Champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who is playing in her first International Open event for three years, is partnering former Aussie international Robyn Cooper. Although they come up against the highly-rated pairing of Amelia Pittock and Melissa Martin, their experience should see them through to Thursday's semi-finals.

In the Mixed event, Grinham is partnered by fellow Queenslander Joseph Kneipp and also seeded to reach Friday's finals. New Zealanders Shelley Kitchen and Glen Wilson - the latter the reigning Commonwealth Games Mixed Doubles gold medallist - will, however, undoubtedly offer stiff competition.

2nd qualifying rounds:
Men's - Pool A
[1] Anthony Ricketts & Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Shane Doherty & Jeff Bond (AUS)
9-5, 9-7, 5-9, 9-2
[5/8] John White & Harry Leitch (SCO) bt Martin Wissner & Gunal Gunsav (GER)
9-1, 9-2, 9-4
Pool B
[2] Dan Jenson & Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Jamie Crombie & Michael Puertas (USA)
9-3, 9-6, 9-7
[5/8] Rodney Durbach & Adrian Hansen (RSA) bt Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan & Nafzahizam Adnan (MAS)
9-6, 9-6, 9-6
Pool C
Campbell Grayson & Martin Knight (NZL) bt [3/4] Ritwik Bhattacharya & Saurav Ghosal (IND)
9-3, 9-6, 9-7
Craig Rowland & Bradley Freeme (AUS) bt [5/8] Paul Price & Timothy Manning (AUS)
9-6, 8-10, 9-7, 9-2
Pool D
[3/4] Cameron White & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [5/8] Daniel Sharplin & Kashif Shuja (NZL)
10-8, 11-9, 9-1
[3/4] Cameron White & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Craig van der Wath & Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
9-2, 9-6, 9-3
[5/8] Daniel Sharplin & Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Neil Nesbit & Mike Burns (ZIM)
9-3, 9-1, 9-0

Women's - Pool A:
[1] Rachael Grinham & Amanda Hopps (AUS) bt Louise Philip & Frania Gillen-Buchert (SCO)
9-3, 9-2, 9-4
Pool B
[2] Lara Heta & Louise Crome (NZL) bt Kimberley Bessell & Skye Millar (AUS)
9-7, 9-7, 9-0
[5/8] Robyn Cooper & Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt Kylie Doherty & Georgina Davis (AUS)
9-5, 9-4, 12-10
Kylie Doherty & Georgina Davis (AUS) bt Kimberley Bessell & Skye Millar (AUS)
9-7, 9-7, 4-9, 9-4
Pool C
[5/8] Tricia Chuah & Delia Arnold (MAS) bt Vanessa Pickerd & Jemma Saxby (AUS)
9-4, 9-4, 9-6
[3/4] Amelia Pittock & Melissa Martin (AUS) bt Diana Argyle & Tenille Swartz (RSA)
9-2, 9-7, 9-5
Diana Argyle & Tenille Swartz (RSA) bt Vanessa Pickerd & Jemma Saxby (AUS)
9-4, 9-3, 9-4
Pool D
[5/8] Louisa Hall & Meredeth Quick (USA) bt Peta Hughes & Rachel Smith (AUS)
10-8, 3-9, 9-5, 9-4
Lisa Camilleri & Kelly Fowler (AUS) bt Peta Hughes & Rachel Smith (AUS)
9-5, 9-5, 4-9, 1-9, 9-4
[3/4] Shelley Kitchen & Tamsyn Leevey (NZL) bt [5/8] Louisa Hall & Meredeth Quick (USA)
9-7, 9-3, 9-4

Mixed - Pool A:
[5/8] Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath (RSA) bt Delia Arnold & Nafzahizam Adnan (MAS)
9-6, 9-3, 7-9, 6-9, 9-6
[1] Rachael Grinham & Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt Delia Arnold & Nafzahizam Adnan (MAS)
9-3, 9-3, 9-3
[1] Rachael Grinham & Joseph Kneipp (AUS) bt [5/8] Diana Argyle & Craig van der Wath (RSA)
9-2, 9-4, 9-5
Pool B
[5/8] Kasey Brown & Paul Price (AUS) bt Louisa Hall & Michael Puertas (USA)
9-3, 9-6, 10-8
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt Tanya Owens & Steve Richardson (IRL)
9-1, 9-5, 9-5
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt Louisa Hall & Michael Puertas (USA)
9-4, 9-4, 9-5
[5/8] Kasey Brown & Paul Price (AUS) bt Tanya Owens & Steve Richardson (IRL)
9-3, 9-4, 9-1
[2] Shelley Kitchen & Glen Wilson (NZL) bt [5/8] Kasey Brown & Paul Price (AUS)
6-9, 9-4, 9-4, 9-3
Louisa Hall & Michael Puertas (USA) bt Tanya Owens & Steve Richardson (IRL)
9-3, 9-6, 9-4
Pool C
[3/4] Dianne Desira & Cameron White (AUS) bt Tricia Chuah & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
9-4, 9-2, 1-9, 7-9, 9-4
[5/8] Amelia Pittock & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Tenille Swartz & Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
9-3, 9-5, 9-3
[3/4] Dianne Desira & Cameron White (AUS) bt Tenille Swartz & Clinton Leeuw (RSA)
9-6, 9-3, 9-4
[5/8] Amelia Pittock & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt Tricia Chuah & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
9-7, 5-9, 9-7, 9-3
[5/8] Amelia Pittock & Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [3/4] Dianne Desira & Cameron White (AUS)
9-5, 10-8, 9-6
Tenille Swartz & Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt Tricia Chuah & Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS)
4-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-7
Pool D
[3/4] Melissa Martin & Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Amanda Hopps & Timothy Manning (AUS)
12-10, 8-10, 9-5, 9-7
[5/8] Lara Heta & Callum O'Brien (NZL) bt Meredeth Quick & Jamie Crombie (USA)
9-3, 9-2, 9-3
[3/4] Melissa Martin & Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Amanda Hopps & Timothy Manning (AUS)
12-10, 8-10, 9-5, 9-7
[5/8] Lara Heta & Callum O'Brien (NZL) bt Amanda Hopps & Timothy Manning (AUS)
9-7, 9-3, 9-4
[3/4] Melissa Martin & Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Meredeth Quick & Jamie Crombie (USA)
5-9, 9-6, 9-4, 15-13
[5/8] Lara Heta & Callum O'Brien (NZL) bt [3/4] Melissa Martin & Dan Jenson (AUS)
3-9, 9-7, 12-10, 9-1
Amanda Hopps & Timothy Manning (AUS) bt Meredeth Quick & Jamie Crombie (USA)
7-9, 10-8, 9-7, 12-14, 9-7