Despite an afternoon of heavy rain, the quarter-finals went
ahead as planned at Camana Bay, and it was the top four seeds
who progressed to the semi-finals of the third WISPA Gold event
of the year.
With the rain beating down all afternoon, easing only just
before play was due to start, whether the glass court could be
used tonight was in doubt. Actually the court itself was fine
apart from some drippage on the front wall, but it wouldn't have
been a pleasant experience for the spectators if the rain had
continued.
So
off we went, with second seed and world number two Jenny Duncalf
taking on France's Isabelle Stoehr, who had taken out Natalie
Grainger in a thrilling first round match.
The Englishwoman settled on the glass court quicker, pulling
clear from 4-all in the first, aided and abetted by too many
errors from her opponent.
Stoehr found her range better in the second, a game which
featured a number of decisions and threatened to get a little
tetchy at times. From 8-all Jenny took three points to double
her lead, finishing on a missed volley from Isabelle.
Similar story in the third, close but Jenny mostly a point or
two ahead, Isabelle pulled it back to 8/7 but four successive
tins sealed her fate.
"It's good to get a match on the court under your belt," said
the victor. "I wasn't sure if we were going to play on it, but
we all really enjoy playing on glass courts, and this was a good
one. You could feel the wind a little, and sometimes had to be
careful of the flight of the ball, but generally it was great.
"I'm glad to be able to get off in three against Isabelle, she's
a very dangerous player so I'll take that."
[4] Madeline
Perry (Irl) bt [6] Kasey Brown (Aus)
3/11,
11/6, 12/10, 11/7 (62m)
Madeline finds the fast lane
"I often start slowly these days," said Madeline Perry after
coming from a game down to beat Kasey Brown. "I was slow but she
came out very fast and was on top of me in the first game."
She was that, the Australian dominating and winning it quickly,
and she carried the momentum into the second too, leading 6/3.
It was the Irishwoman who was marginally on top thereafter,
though there was never much in it, and with a number of
collisions and appeals, both were occasionally getting
frustrated with themselves and the referees.
Madeline took eight in a row to equalise, led throughout the
third until Kasey levelled at 9-all and earned a game ball she
couldn't take, and took a 4/0 lead in the fourth that Kasey, try
as she might, couldn't close down.
"It's hot on there, too hot for me," said Madeline, "but I'm
really pleased to win that 3/1, I could feel her coming back at
me towards the end so it was good to finish it off."
It's been a good run for Sarah Kippax this week, coming through
a tough qualifier and scoring a fine first round upset, and she
came pretty close to pulling of an even better one tonight.
It didn't start well for the Englishwoman as Rachael Grinham
sped into a 7/1 lead in the opening game, but Sarah is made of
stern stuff these days and she fought back to win ten of the
next eleven points and take an unlikely lead.
Rachael's flicks, drops, lobs were the order of the day for her
of course, she always says it's not a gameplan as such, it's
just the way she plays, and pretty effective it is too, most of
the time. It took her to a 7/1 lead in the second, and although
Sarah closed the gap a second comeback never looked likely.
The third was nip and tuck up to 6-all, whereupon three tins, a
stroke and a lucky nick to finish put the Australian in the
lead.
A 5/2 lead in the fourth might have been enough for Rachael
against the old Sarah, but she fought back again, levelling at
9-all then screeching in anguish as what would have been a
winning dropshot came off the frame onto the court floor.
One chance was all that Rachael needed, a lovely flicked
crosscourt counterdrop, and the semi-final was booked, but it
was a bit of a struggle.
"That was very tough, very close," said a relieved winner. "I
was disappointed to lose the first after having a good lead, but
in the end I was a bit lucky to win it in four, that dropshot
into the floor helped me, for sure.
"I was trying not to think about a fifth, just trying to dig in
and push for each rally. I've always had a lot of respect for
Sarah, she has great potential and it's good to see her starting
to fulfil it, she's had some good results and there's more to
come."
Camille Serme played well tonight, she played very well.
The fact that she raised her arms aloft in celebration of her
first point at 0/6 in the first game wasn't a reflection of
being happy with a point, more that she'd surely played well
enough to win more by that stage.
It was too late to make a serious comeback in the first of
course, but she came out bouncing at the start of the second,
looking keen and eager, moving well and hitting the ball well,
in short playing better. And still she went 7/1 down. Again a
few points won back, again too late.
She played well in the third, played better again, but still it
wasn't enough. She was never in the lead, but managed to hold on
to Nicol's coat-tails (or maybe we should say her Tutu), 3/5,
4/6, 6/8.
The Malaysian took the last three points though, the final one
was probably the longest rally of the week, every inch of the
court covered several times by both players, and at the end of
it Camille just couldn't run any more as Nicol applied the
finishing touch.
Nicol was good tonight, very good. In some rallies she was just
everywhere, popping up behind Camille's shoulder to volley, then
behind the other when she had no right to be there.
"That was a tough match, we had some really good rallies,
working rallies, especially in the third," said the defending
champion. "We were both trying to outposition each other, I'm
just pleased to win it 3/0."
Camille Serme played well tonight, she played very well. Nicol
David just played better.
