SquashTalk >News > Hurghada Quarters

Sister Act Falls Short This Time Around
by Martin Bronstein © 2002

April 1, 2002 © 2002         [Hurghada draw]
      

CHARMAN-SMITH CAN'T FIND OFFENCE IN THE CRUNCH

POHRER KEEPS GOING
With both Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Leleini Joyce sidelined, the results of the major WISPA stops seem pre-ordained to inexorably go Carol Owens' way. Outside the top six, there is not much competition as WISPA suffers a temporary gap between two generations --- Kawy, Nicol and Bailey can't yet seriously push the top tier.

So we should be thankful for Natalie Grainger the South African/English/ American who is providing so much excitement to the game. She had the talent to get up to number four once and then family matters took her mind off the game. She is back up to number nine and the way she is now focussing on the game is making all the players ranked above her sit up and look behind them, worry lines forming on the forehead.

GREAT IN PATCHES

She got some great scalps to get to the final of the Heliopolis and in the Hurghada quarters she once more beat Linda Charman-Smith in a huge five game battle that went all the way to 5-5 in the fifth before Pohrer surged to take the game and book another semi- final place.

Natalie Grinham (l) coaches sister Rachel. Both lost in last night's quarterfinals. (photo courtesy Andrew Shelley, WISPA)

Pohrer can still be a bit patchy: she went to a two game lead but fell back allowing Charman-Smith to tie the match. But she now knows how to step up the pace and when to step it up. These big wins in the past two weeks are probably the best results she has had in a long time. She now faces Carol Owens and if she starts well and puts pressure on Owens from the word go, she could well do to Owens what she did to Cassie Campion last week.

ONE CHIP, NO FISH

Carol Owens relaxes in anticipation of semis clash with Pohrer (photo courtesy Andrew Shelley, WISPA)

wens is playing well and I know why. (She’ll probably hate me for saying this): Fitz-Gerald is out of the way. Owens has always had a chip on her shoulder about the world number one. While Owens was an Australian, she felt ignored as the spotlight and adoration fell on Fitz-Gerald and Michelle Martin. Her treatment by Squash Australia was probably a major cause in turning from Kangaroo into Kiwi. And when she gets beaten by Fitz-Gerald, Owens must take some of the blame/glory – she helps Sarah with the chip on the shoulder. Owens can beat Fitz-Gerald (that’s how she won the world title two years ago) but she should be giving the Australian a really hard time every time they meet – not just the occasional fight.

TEN YEARS AND THREE POINTS
Owens was merciless in her quarter-final match against the WISPA’s Grande Olde Dame Suzanne Horner, allowing the England player just three points in their quarter-final. There’s about a ten year gap between the two players, but Horner was probably still sore from her previous match which went five games. Afterwards Owens said:

“I am just biding my time before another crack against Sarah Fitz-Gerald at the British Open."

I’ll call her and ask her if I can bet a couple of hundred bucks on her winning. Meanwhile Cassie Campion and Dutch champion Vanessa Atkinson put an end to the Australian sister act; Campion beat Rachel Grinham in three, but it took her 50 minutes to do it with two of the games going to extra points.

Rachel’s younger sister Natalie went out in three to her Amsterdam training partner Vanessa Atkinson, who is celebrating because it is her first WISPA semi-final. Vanessa and Cassie will now face each other in the semis, but I think the interest will be on the Owens/Pohrer clash. I forecast a terrific final, regardless of who wins the semis. Pity I’m not there.

Quarter-final Results:
[2] Cassie Campion (ENG) bt [6] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 10-9, 9-5, 10-8 (50m) [8] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-5, 9-1, 9-7 (43m) Natalie Pohrer (ENG) bt [3] Linda Charman-Smith (ENG) 9-1, 9-5, 5-9, 7-9, 9-6 (74m)
[1] Carol Owens (NZL) bt [7] Suzanne Horner (ENG) 9-1, 9-1, 9-1 (24m)

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