Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes came back from the brink of defeat to topple former world champion Rachel Grinham of Australia by three sets to two in the Cayman World Open championships in the Cayman Islands yesterday.
Grinham won the first two sets and led 10-7 in the third before Fernandes won five straight points to take the third set and never looked back.
Representing her country, her region, her family and herself, world number 48 has performed with distinction which has yielded unprecedented success so far at the Women’s World Squash Open.
Fernandes took full advantage of the wildcard spot which she earned at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Caribbean Championships by winning both of her qualifying matches against higher ranked opponents which got her into the main draw to face Grinham.
In her first match in the qualifying round, Fernandes, the four-time senior Caribbean champion, defeated world number 44 ranked Coline Aumard of France 11/6, 11/1 and 11/4.
Then in the final qualifying match, Fernandes survived a five-game thriller against Japanese world number 42 Misaki Kobayashi winning 6/11, 12/10, 9/11, 13/11, 11/9.
That match lasted all of 83 minutes and was described as “the match of the tournament,” by the official tournament site.
Then it was up against Grinham, who held the world number one ranking in 2004 for 14 months and is currently ranked number 16 in the world.
Grinham won the first two games in the gruelling first round match 11/3, and 11/6 as it looked like the end for Fernandes, but when many must have counted her out the Guyanese six-time Sportswoman-of-the-Year defied the odds and pulled off a stunning 12/10 third game win before taking the fourth 11/5 and the close out win in the fifth 11/9 in dramatic fashion. Grinham, now 35, won the Women’s World Open five year ago in 2007 and is the four-time British Open Champion.
“You have to believe you can win, even if you don’t expect,” was the remarks of the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games champion Fernandes following her match according to the official tournament site (http://www.worldopensquash.com).
“I don’t even remember saving those match balls in the third but when I got 10/6 (match ball) in the fifth, I just told myself keep playing the way I’d played to get that point,” Fernandes added.
Reigning Caribbean under 19 champion Mary Fung-A-Fat and runner up Ashley deGroot, who also earned wildcard spots by their performances at this year’s junior CASA, were eliminated in the qualifying round. Degroot was eliminated from the first qualifying round after losing to world number 29 Sarah Jane Perry in three games 11/3, 11/7, 11/3. After a first round walkover win, Fung-A-Fat was humbled by world number 27 Lauren Briggs of England.
Fernandes had peaked at number 27 on the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) ranking in 2007 before suffering a career threatening knee injury.
She also returned from a shoulder injury last year to win the Guatemala Open earlier this year. Just last month Fernandes upset world number 15 Samantha Teran reach the second round of the Hong Kong Open where she was defeated by former world number two Natalie Grinham, Rachael’s younger, who is currently ranked number 14.
Next up for Fernandes is number three ranked Laura Massaro of England who defeated Colombia’s Catalina Pelaez 11/4, 11/4, 11/6.
