04-Apr, Final:
[2] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [3] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng)
             11/6, 11/9, 11/4

Grainger too strong in final
Glen Wilson reports

After a long match last night with Natalie Grinham this was always going to be a tough one for Massaro. Slow out of the blocks Massaro got behind early, Grainger dominating the early exchanges with some great width and length followed by some superb back hand straight drops to finish the points. Massaro in the second found her rhythm and she had a slender lead forcing Grainger into a few errors.

Grainger came back strong to hit some fantastic over head forehand volley kills followed by a few more back hand drops to edge ahead and take the game 11/9. Grainger 2/0 up and hitting the ball with extreme pace came out in the third stamping her authority gaining a good led, again attacking in the front back hand with amazing precision picking up a rally of points.

Massaro was trying to keep it tight, trying to extend the rallies, looking for her own opportunities but Grainger’s opportunities came first and she was finishing the points on nearly every occasion. Grainger ran out a comfortable winner in the third and with it The 2009 Atwater Cup Champion.

For Massaro it was a good tournament and another confidence boasting result as she looks to climb up the rankings. For Grainger though, her 8th straight tournament win and on this form and a recent win over world number 1 Nicol David in Malaysia the number 1 spot is definitely on her radar.
  

6/11, 11/8, 11/7, 7/11, 11/8 (65m)

[3] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro

 11/6, 11/9, 11/4

[2] Natalie Grainger

11/3 ,11/3, 11/4 (25m)

[2] Natalie Grainger

2008 Event

[3] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng) bt [1] Natalie Grinham (Ned)
               6/11, 11/8, 11/7, 7/11, 11/8 (65m)
[2] Natalie Grainger (Usa) bt [4] Kasey Brown (Aus)
               11/3 ,11/3, 11/4 (25m)

England's Laura Lengthorn-Massaro recorded one of her best-ever wins as she defeated top seed Natalie Grinham in five games in the semi-finals at the Atwater Club in Montreal. In the final she will face another Natalie G, Grainger, who eased past Australia's Kasey Brown in straight games.

Natalie Grainger beat Kasey Brown

Both players came out firing looking to attack from the outset but it was Grainger who was winning the points. One after the other she was able to find the backhand nick almost at will hitting 8 outright winners to take the set 11/3.

Brown came out in the second looking to mix things up a little, slow it down but this only gave Grainger more time to find her shots and work the points. Grainger was so quick on the ball Brown didn’t have an answer for anything that was thrown at her. The long match last night against Teran may have affected Brown more than she thought as she looked at her legs telling them to hurry up.

The third was pretty quick, Grainger dominating from the start to run out a very comfortable winner. A stunning performance by the new World Number 2.

Laura Lengthorn-Massro beat Natalie Grinham

The early exchanges were fairly tight with both players feeling each other out. Grinham moving well and Massaro playing steady. A couple of quick errors gave Grinham a mini break and from there she pulled away to take the set in 9 min.

Grinham raced out to a quick 5/0 lead in the second and it looked like she was starting to get the better of her opponent. A couple of errors by Grinham and three quick winners by Massaro had her in an unlikely lead. This gave Massaro a little confidence as she went from being steady to attack with some great boasts and quick drop flicks to wrong for Grinham to win the second 11/8.

Back in the match Massaro started the third strong hitting the ball with a bit more pace, stepping up the court and cutting in the backhand drop with great effect. Grinhams length fell off and Massaro attacked from the middle to hit some nice shots and take a 2 games to 1 lead.

Grinham started hitting a better length in the fourth which gave her a little more time to set up the points and she finished them nicely with some great drops. Massaro a little impatient handed Grinham a few early errors but a couple of great boasts kept it close at 7/6. A couple of nice shots by Grinham at the end to take a three-point lead and a Massaro error meant we were heading for a fifth.

Both players came out looking to attack early, a little tentative at times, a few winners by both followed by a few errors had it all close at 7/6 Massaro. Massaro played two beautifully constructed rallies hitting two fantastic winners after moving her opponent out of position to open up a three-point lead. Grinham fought back running everything down to close it to 8/9 but Massaro was not to be denied winning a couple of big points at the death and with it a final against the red hot Natalie Grainger.
  

Natalie Grinham vs Suzie Pierrepont

Natalie came out looking to force the pressure early on moving very quickly around the court and playing some fantastic drop shots to completely dominate the opening game.

Pierrepont in the second tried to use her height and reach to by stepping up the court but Natalie was playing great width to get Pierrepont behind her to stay in front. As the rallies wore on the opening would come for Grinham and the point would be won.

Pierrepont tried in vain to mix things up but Natalie got to everything and looked very precise and on top of her game. A comfortable winner and an interesting match up with Laura Lengthorn Massaro follows.

Laura Lengthorn Massaro vs Jaclyn Hawkes

Both players got into their stride early and the game was close until 8 all until Massaro upped the tempo a notch to take a tight first game.

Massaro was upping the pace to try and force the pressure but Hawkes was hanging in there and forcing some of her own pressure with some great attacking boasts and drops.

A couple of referees calls went against Hawkes at the end and Lengthorn went up 2/0.

In the third Hawkes came up firing looking to break the Massaros rhythm early by hitting the ball harder and being a bit more aggressive. This caught Massaro by surprise as Hawkes built a good early led that she held onto to take the game.

Massaro had time to reflect during the break on her concentration lapse and things went back to normal in the fourth with some steady play and some great backhand volley winners. Massaro was finding her range on the backhand front corner chopping everything in hitting some nice winners. Hawkes clawed back a few points at the end but Massaro looks in fine form for her game with Grinham in tonight’s semi final.

Natalie Grainger vs Alana Miller

Miller came out well hitting the ball crisply and looking at taking her opportunities winning some nicely constructed rallies. Grainger was steady playing some nice points of her own but when it was close Grainger reeled off three or four quick points to win the first.

Both players were playing freely playing some nice rallies, both looking to attack when they had the chance. At 6-all Grainger again stepped it up a notch to win the next five points and take a 2/0 lead.

In the third Miller was still playing well forcing Grainger into some long exchanges and a few errors but when it mattered and when Grainger needed to win points she turned it on. A nice game to watch and Miller can take heart pushing Grainger in three well contested games.

Samantha Teran vs Kasey Brown

This was a repeat of last years second round where Brown came out on top but on paper this was always going to be very close match and a hard one to pick.

Both players started well and the exchanges were long with they crowd knowing they were going to be in for a long evening. There was nothing in it 2/1, 2 all, 3/3, 3/4, 4 all then 11 all, a bad call that went against Teran and a nice point by Brown to take the set.

These players were very evenly matched and the second was exactly the same as the first. A lot of hard hitting by both players, some great retrieving and nice attacking drop shots to finish the points. This was a hard battle, neither player giving an inch and making no errors. Every point was either won on a winner or a ref’s call, no let or stroke and there were a few of those creeping into the match. Teran got the batter at the end and leveled the match at one-all after 60min.

Neither player looked tired and both were moving very freely hitting the ball as though it was their last meal, desperate to gain some kind of ascendancy over each other. It was Brown who got a mini break and she held on to win it 11/7.

The fourth was brutal. Teran trying to hit it harder, running faster trying to dislodge Brown who was hanging in there keeping it tight, giving nothing to her Mexican opponent. Tit for Tat, back and fourth and again 11-all. It was a shame there had to be a loser but Brown snuck it 13/11 and relieved not be to playing a fifth. A great game of attrition by both players and much appreciated by the local crowd.
  

Qualifying Finals:

Fiona Moverley beat Olga Ertlova
11/3 11/9 11/5

Moverley got off to a much better start in this match compared to her first round and completely dominated Ertlova from start to finish. Ortlova put up some resistance in the second set but Moverley was moving well and apply constant pressure that produced a number of winners.

Runa Reta beat Victoria Lust
11/13 11/7 5/11 12/10 11/6

This match on paper was fairly even and the match proved just that. Lust and up in coming star from England against a former top 30 player and highly experienced Reta.

Games were shared at 1 a piece but in the third Reta looked like she was tiring and Lust gained some ascendancy getting in front and playing some well constructed points forcing her opponent into making a few errors. The fourth looked a copycat of the third and it looked as if Lust would run out a comfortable winner. Reta was battling but trailed 10/6 match ball and it looked all but over but someone as experienced as Reta knows that to hang in there anything can happen. A couple of calls went against Lust, a mistake, 2 winners by Reta and another dubious call against Lust had Reta back in the match and into a 5th set. Lust started the 5th well establishing an early lead but Reta found her legs and was running everything down giving it her all. She took control half way through the 5th rattling off 5 unanswered points before Lust pulled 1 back then in another mini run won the last 3 points to win 11/6 in just over the hour mark. An amazing comeback by Reta which earned her some valuable ranking points. Lust could only ponder how things probably should have been different but she looks a good player and one to watch out for in the future.

Emma Chorley beat Georgina Stoker
11/7 11/6 11/6

Both players started well and this looked pretty even from the start but from the middle of the set Chorley ran away with it picking up some great shots and hitting some timely winners to secure the set.

The second set followed the same suit but this time Stoker hit a few tins at crucial times that gave Chorley a nice lead that she held onto.

The third was one way traffic with Chorley racing out to 6/0 before a mini resurgence from Stoker at the end but Chorley looks good for tomorrow’s first round match.

Miranda Ranieri beat Alex Norman
11/9 11/3 4/11 11/6

Two different styles of players. Norman gritty, solid, gives nothing away. Ranieri, full of flair, attacking, not scared to have a go.

Ranieri couldn’t miss anything in the first two completely dominating Norman with Boasts, drops, over head nicks and some great attacking length not too mention the amount of balls she picked up. Spending close to a day in Newark airport trying to get on a flight after her first flight was cancelled might not have been the best preparation for Ranieri but it didn’t show as she played with immense ease and lack of fear to have a go.

Norman fought back as we new she would and a slight lapse of concentration was all she needed to get back into the match but still down 2/1. Its amazing what that 90 seconds break can do as Ranieri had time to compose herself and re-focus coming out in the fourth like she did in the first 2 leading early on and sustaining the lead winning the 4th 11/6 and with that an interesting match with Alana Miller in the first round which should prove to be one of the most interesting matches in the first round

1st round qualifying Atwater Cup
Glen Wilson reports

Fiona Moverley beat Thaisa Serafini 9/11 11/7 11/6 11/8

Fiona started fairly tentatively giving away an early lead that Thaisa held onto to take a one game to love lead. Fiona settled down in the second and took control of the T forcing her opponent into a few errors and building some well earned points.

Serafina was fighting though and played some good rallies of her own to keep it tight but Moverley had too much for her with good boasts, well placed drops and great control of the T to win 3/1.

Olga Ertlova beat Genevieve Lessard
11/7 11/7 5/11 12/10

Both players started pretty evenly but at 7-all Olga won four straight points to clinch the set.

The second was a complete copy of the first. 7a-ll, both players playing well then 4 more straight points for Olga 11/7 and a 2/0 lead.

Olga started the third trying to finish the points to early and her lack of patience had her down by five early on and Genevieve took it 11/5.

In the fourth it was Genevieve's turn to go down 5/0 but she composed herself to claw the set back to 10-all before Olga hit a couple of nice shots to win in a tight four games.

Alex Norman beat Samantha Cornett 11/9 11/9 11/7

Alex was made to work in the first two games but both players were hitting a lot of unforced errors. The third was more consistent but Alex had to much for Samantha running out a comfortable winner.

Runa Reta beat Sarah Parson 11/2 11/3 11/1

Runa completely dominated from start to finish, holding the ball with much effect and wrong footing her younger opponent on many occasions. She`ll be nice and fresh for her next round.

Miranda Ranieri beat Tina Rix 11/5 11/5 11/5

An edgy start from both players and Tina was always in it early but Miranda pulled away in each game to run it out in three.

Victoria Lust beat Belkys Magaly Velez 11/5 11/3 11/2

Victoria came out early, took control of the T and pelted the ball deep from the start. Velez was finding it difficult to get Victoria off the T, forced into making a lot or errors as the pressure kept coming. A comfortable 3/0 win for Lust.


Georgina Stoker beat Stephanie Edmison 7/11 13/11 11/7 11/6

This was a well fought match by both players. Stephanie took the first through sheer grit and determination running everything down. She nearly took the second losing 12/10 and a possible 2/0 lead.

Stoker had gained a little more dominance on the T and step up the court to force Edmison into some long exchanges that turned into a few errors. That was all that was needed for Stoker to hang on to win in a tough 3/1.

Emma Chorley beat Carolyn Russell 11/6 10/12 9/11 11/9 11/6

The last match on produced the longest. This was tit for tat all the way. Both girls couldn’t quite gain the upper hand. Chorley played some good length keeping it tight but Russell seemed to be able to cut it in short from any where which rewarded her with some good points.

Games were shared at 2-all but in the fifth Chorley came out looking to attack a bit more which caught Russell by surprise. She established a good early led helped by a few tins by her opponent. Chorley hung on for a nervous 11/6 finish and a date with country woman Stoker this evening for a main draw spot.

2008 Event