Squash: Doubles feat gives Kitchen rare pair

New Zealand's Shelley Kitchen (front) and Tamsyn Leevey were worn down by their Australian opponents yesterday. Picture / John Borren

Shelley Kitchen reckoned she was not too fussed about playing doubles squash before heading to Melbourne with the New Zealand team.

She might have a bit more time for the relatively new aspect of the sport now though, because it means she is heading home with two medals in her back pocket.

Kitchen backed up her bronze in the women's singles with a silver in the women's doubles with her partner Tamsyn Leevey, which makes her one of only two New Zealanders to have climbed the medal dais twice at the Games.

Swimmer Moss Burmester scored gold and bronze.

But Kitchen was struggling to rekindle the feeling that she had when she won bronze five days ago.

They had turned up with gold fever, but just couldn't manage it against Australian sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham.

They lost 3-1, the hometown girls gaining momentum as the game continued.

"I am definitely happy [with two medals] but I am still really annoyed about losing the mixed doubles semifinal to be honest. I am still really gutted about that, especially after getting two match points," Kitchen said.

"I never expected to do this well at all. To grab my bronze last week was just great. We were seeded No 2 this week and were expected to make the final . . ," she said. "I think in a couple of weeks we will be really, really happy with our performances but at the moment it was a loss."

After getting an ideal start and surprising the Australians with a 9-1 first set win, Kitchen and Leevey were knocked off their stride by some tactical play from the sisters.

Leevey, playing the forehand side of the court, was tested as the sisters kept returning the ball to her.

Unfazed the Kiwis kept harassing their opponents, engaging in prolonged rallies in the crucial fourth set. The Grinhams crept out to a 5-2 lead but Kitchen and Leevey tried valiantly to recover.

But the Australians' tactic of focusing their attack on Leevey paid off as the pressure of repeated rallying took its toll.

It ended 1-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-3.

It was the end of a gruelling campaign for Kitchen, who had been in action for all but one of the 11-day event. It was not the day of medal winning glory the New Zealand team were hoping for at the squash centre.

Kitchen had earlier been beaten in the mixed doubles match with Glen Wilson to decide the bronze, by Australians Rachael Grinham and David Palmer. The gold went to another Australian pairing, Natalie Grinham and Joseph Kneipp, 3-1 over Vicki Botwright and James Willstrop of England.

Then fellow New Zealanders Lara Petera and Lousie Crome were defeated in the bronze medal game of the women's doubles as well.