SQUASH Madeline Perry loses in British Open Final

Northern Irish player Madeline Perry lost out in her first ever British Open Final to Australia's Rachel Grinham in straight sets on Monday evening, September 14th.

Perry defeated world number one Nicol David in the quarter-finals and Alison Watters in the semi-finals but lost in straight games against Grinham. The Aussie took the opening two games 11-6 and 11-5.

Perry, 32, came back from 10-6 to level in the third game before Grinham clinched her fourth British Open title.

But while Perry was unable to reproduce her quarter-final and semi-final heroics, the Banbridge woman can look back on a tournament where she made a major breakthrough.

The British Open is almost on a par with the World Open and her performance looks certain to improve Perry's current global ranking of seven.

The Banbridge woman, who defeated the World Number 1, Nicol David in Manchester on Saturday, secured a 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 over English player Watters in Sunday's semi-final.

In the quarter-final, Perry survived three match balls in the third game as she stormed back to beat David on a 6-11, 12-14, 15-13, 11-5, 11-9 scoreline after a marathon 76-minute contest.

Perry spoke of her delight at reaching the decider after the win over Watters.

"I was more emotional after I beat Nicol but I am just so happy to have reached the final as well," said world number seven Perry.

"I had never even been in the semi-finals before let alone the final so it's been a good weekend."

This week's achievement represent a greater triumph even than Perry's effort in the same stadium here last year, when she reached the semi-final of the World Open before losing to David.

They were also further reward for the immense courage she showed in recovering from a career-threatening head injury two years ago when she was mugged in Milan.

Perry will be in action in the World Open, which starts in Amsterdam later this month.