A magnificent fight back from Australia’s Rachael Grinham wasn’t enough to overcome England’s Alison Waters in the semi-final of the Australian Squash Open played recently in Canberra.

Grinham, a former AIS scholarship holder, saved a match point in the third game then led 9-5 in the fifth before Waters stormed home to win the next six points and take the match 11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11, 11-9 in a magnificent advertisement for women’s squash.

“Obviously going two sets up I thought I was playing quite well,” Waters said.

“Then my length dropped a bit and she was moving quite well and started putting these amazing cross-court drop shots in, so I had to hang in there.”

“When I was 9-5 down in the fifth I thought ‘I’ve had two really good tournaments leading into this and I don’t want to lose now.”

Grinham was at a loss to describe what happened at the end of the deciding game after she had fought her way back into the match.

“I really thought it was going to be over in three but I told myself to push hard and make her win every point,” Grinham said.

“I ended up taking the third then she slowed down a bit and I had more time.”

“I got a good start in the fifth and was 9-5 up and then, I don’t know, I started getting a little bit nervous and gave away a couple of points, then I lost my lead.”
 
“I think because I only needed a couple of points to win I started to go short too early. I really don’t know what happened.”
 
Waters advanced to the final of the Australian Open only to go down to Madeline Perry of Northern Ireland in a thrilling five-set thriller.
 
Perry saved two match balls in the fifth game to win the biggest tournament of her career 11-5, 12-10, 6-11, 4-11, 13-11.
 
In the men’s final England’s Nick Mathews defeated Egypt’s Ramy Ashour 16-14, 11-7, 12-10.
 
Results involving Australians:
 
Quarter finals:
 
Rachael Grinham (AUS) d Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8

Jenny Duncalf (ENG) d Kasey Brown (AUS) 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 11-5
 
MENS

Ramy Ashmour (EYG) d Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-7, 11-3, 14-12

Thierry Lincou (FRA) d Stewart Boswell (AUS) 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5