Rachael Grinham, the British Open squash champion, has made sisterly history, overcoming the younger Natalie Grinham, the Commonwealth champion, by 9-4, 10-8, 9-2 to win the World Open title for the first time in Madrid.

Not only was it the first time that the Grinhams had met in a WISPA Tour final, it was almost certainly only the second pair of sisters in any sport ever to have contested a major final, following Venus and Serena Williams in tennis.

“The fact that I wanted to win this one so badly, more badly than before, didn’t mean it was difficult to play my sister,” Rachael said.

It was a delightful contest, full of fascinating patterns, subtle lobs and drops, slow drives and sharply volleyed interceptions, typical of two players who as kids used to sneak on to unlit courts back home in Toowoomba in Queensland and try to play when they were not supposed to.

But there was no doubt that this final was competitive. Natalie several times yelled at herself, and once hit Rachael on the bottom gently with the edge of her racket as retribution for winning a rally with three audacious retrieves.

Did Rachael feel sorry for Natalie for having denied her the world title?

“No - she got all three golds at the Commonwealth,” she replied, laughing.

“We are pleased for the other one when she wins, but at the end of the day, we do want to win.”

Nevertheless Natalie had done much to make this one of the better finals, not least with the ungrudging embrace at the end and the smile which suggested she shared in the success of her sister’s first world title at the age of 30.

“To be the first two sisters in the final feels fantastic,” said Natalie, who made light of the fact that she almost didn’t play the tournament because if an inured wrist.

“Not just one of us winning but both being in the final is more of a dream than one of us winning it.

“It was almost perfect. It would have been perfect if I’d have won it.”

-AFP

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Tags: Elder, Grinham, triumphs, historic, final

Posted on October 28th, 2007 by Klaus Roe
Filed under: Tennis