Sarah Fitz-Gerald takes it one Match at a time

10.6.00 Ron Beck, Squashtalk

Sarah Fitz-Gerald has been away from the limelight of the WPSA Women's Pro tour for five month now, having cut short her American appearances just prior to this spring's Dallas tour stop. She make a cautious but emphatic return two weeks ago in Singapore, taking the Singapore Women's Open, with no games lost in the entire event. SquashTalk caught up with her in Reading as she made final preparations for her two upcoming appearances at the British Open and the Women's World Open.

Your rival Cassie Campion has been reported to be "on track" to win the Women's British Open
Well yes, she's right to be feeling confident but I hope to be able to mount a challenge. In my case, I'm just happy to be here, to be able to compete in the British Open. I'm just going to take my performance one match at a time and not make any predictions. I have a very tough match in the second round, against Natalie Grainger.

The draw seems fairly heavily stacked in the top half that you find yourself in?
Yes, well when Cassie said the top half of the draw was "ridiculous" she was probably looking ahead to her second round match against Tania Bailey. Tania's been playing a very mature game and that could be an exciting match.

For my part, I will have to beat the # 1 and # 3 players to get to the finals, and don't forget that Sue Wright has a very good chance of getting through the qualifier and could be in our half as well.

But in Munich in the Spring, you performed just that feat, taking the championship against a strong field?
That was a good event for me and gave me confidence that I can regain my #1 position. But you have to remember that I haven't played a real match against a top-five opponent since April. I can't at all predict how I will perform at Birmingham, coming off such a layoff. I'll just take it one match at a time.

You've said your real focus is the World Championship in November?
Anywhere you go, worldwide, if you can say you won the World Championship, that means something to anyone. So, yes, that's the ultimate goal. I've pointed myself all year toward trying to reclaim the world championship.

I'm certainly going to go all out in the British Open, but realistically, I can't predict the outcome here.

Are you headed for Brooklyn NY after the British Open?
If I were lucky enough to get into the British Open final, it would me turning round the next day, immediately on a plane bound for New York. For me, at my stage of rehabilitation, its too much at one. So I decided months ago not to compete at the Heights Casino Weymuller Open. I had planned to enter the Hartfort WISPA Open, but that's now been postponed, so I'll go directly into training for the World Open and World Teams.

So you're playing for Australia in the teams?
Yes, I believe in playing for my country. I just love to compete, to play. Unfortunately, neither Carol Owens nor Rachel Grinham will join me on the team. It leaves us with Natalie Grinham, who has a lot of potential but still is inexperienced, at #2. So realistically, we will be lucky to end in the top four.

Good luck next week, Sarah.
Thanks, I hope to surprise a few players, and maybe the squash world, with a strong performance. In any event you can count on maximum effort from me.

Sarah Fitz-Gerald( top Photos © Dunlop Sport, 2000)

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