Vanessa Closes the Deal
Dec 2, 2004, Colin McQuillan SquashTalk Independent News Service © 2004;

[Main Draw]
This Time, Vanessa Doesn't Let Rachael Grinham Off the Hook
Vanessa Atkinson, the highly-focused, fast and versatile world #3 from Holland, took complete control of her match with world #1 Rachael Grinham, and took the 2004 Qatar Classic in 3 games. IN doing so she won the most important match of her career, beating the World No1 and double British Open Champion, Rachael Grinham of Australia, 9-4 9-7 9-6 in the 42 minute final of the Qatar Women’s Classic in Doha.

She banished the ghosts of her most recent encounter with Grinham in the British Open semi final in Nottingham England, in which she for all intents and purposes completely outplayed Grinham for 2 games and 7 points, but then somehow allowed her lead and focus to unravel and gave away that match on that day. Not this time. Not in Doha. Atkinson was impressive mentally and physically in winning this important title going into the World Open in Malaysia.

Having reached the final by the extraordinary process of seeing two high ranking opponents, first Natalie Grainger of the USA and then Cassie Jackman of England, retiring sick from matches against her, the 28-year-old Newcastle born Dutch No1 said she was determined to win well to prove that she did not need collapsing opponents to succeed.

“I was also very aware that I lost to Rachael from a good lead in then British Open semi-finals and I needed to wipe that off the record. I panicked a bit at the possibility of winning in the British open, so I just concentrated on staying calm in this match.”

Tall and redheaded, Atkinson compared starkly on court to the small and pale figure of the World No1. She went straight to a 5-1 lead in the opening game, stopped an enterprising fightback at 5-4 and the profited from the fading confidence of the top seed as Grinham contributed five errors to the last seven rallies.

Grinham pulled herself together for the second game, firing in sharp little drop shots, boasts, reverse angles and stunning long drops to take a 5-2 lead, but Atkinson stuck to her own task despite two glaring tinned errors, one on either hand, that gave Grinham a 6-4 lead until the errors began once again to spring from the nervous Australian racket. Seven time more Grinham hit the tin in the second game, once on an absolute sitter in the top right corner, and the game went away from her on the second game ball.

Atkinson led 4-0 on errors and penalty strokes in the third and recovered from a counter-attack to 4-4 with increasing authority. It is an authority she will carry usefully into the Women’s World open in Kuala Lumpur next week with Grainger suggesting she might not travel there, Jackman unsure of how she might arrive and now Grinham smarting from a good whipping.

Jackman Out Of Hospital
Jackman, the British National Champion who was seeded to reach the Doha final, was this morning released from hospital with a clean sheet after being forced to a halt with chest pains and breathing difficulties when trailing Atkinson 9-10 10-9 9-6 after 47 minutes of play in their semi-final.

The 31-year-old second seed was rushed straight to hospital and kept in overnight for deep vein thrombosis tests and other examinations. She was released this morning to decide whether or not to travel on to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for next week’s Women’s World Open Championship.

“It is a relief to get the all clear, especially on the blood clot possibility,” Jackman said today after watching the Atkinson win. “I think I will go on to KL and see how things are when I get on court there. Right now I just feel sleepy. I didn’t get much sleep in hospital.”

The physiotherapists traveling with the England party suspect that the problem could be connected to the double spinal surgery that almost ended Jackman’s career a couple of years ago. They suggested that the pain in the side of the chest and the spasmodic gulping cramp of the air passages could be a muscular reaction to the player’s post operative back condition.

Women's Qatar Classic; Doha, Qatar

Final Results:
[3] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [1] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-4 9-7 9-6 (41 min)

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