Squash: Kitchen out in Monaco

1.30pm

New Zealand squash player Shelley Kitchen showed encouraging signs despite losing her semifinal at the Monte Carlo Classic in Monaco today.

Preparing for the British Open starting next week, Kitchen would have been buoyed to take a game off world No 2 Cassie Jackman, of England.

Kitchen, the tournament fourth seed, went down to the top seed 10-9 5-9 3-9 1-9 in 41 minutes.

She matched Jackman point for point in the opening game, saving two game points before winning 10-9.

However, Jackman was too strong in the next three games as she forced Kitchen into a string of mistakes.

Jackman will meet Jenny Tranfield in an all-England final, after the third seed won by a walkover against second seeded compatriot Fiona Geaves, who twisted her knee in the quarterfinals.

Kitchen now heads to Nottingham for the British Open which starts on October 29.

Semifinal results from the Monte Carlo Classic women's squash tournament in Monaco today (prefix denotes seeding):-

1-Cassie Jackman (England) bt 4-SHELLEY KITCHEN (NZ) 9-10 9-5 9-3 9-1, 3-Jenny Tranfield (England) bt 2-Fiona Geaves (England) walkover.

-NZPA