JOYCE REJOICES AT HELIOPOLIS SUCCESS
Cairo, Egypt. World Squash News. New Zealand's world No2 Leilani Joyce claimed her fifth WISPA World Tour title since becoming British Open champion last December when she beat Australian rival Carol Owens 9-6 7-9 9-3 9-2 to win the $30,000 Women's Heliopolis Squash Open in Cairo.

It was the pair's second final meeting in Egypt in six days, and a more convincing victory for the 26-year-old from Hamilton who needed five games and 87 minutes to overcome Owens in last week's Al-Ahram International climax by the Great Pyramids of Giza. "I had an opportunity last year to lift the title, but let that opportunity slide," said Joyce, runner-up in 1999, after her victory. "I was determined to change that this year." Joyce, unbeaten since May, and Owens, from Melbourne, reached both the Al-Ahram and Heliopolis finals without conceding games.

The pair, ranked two and three, respectively, in the world, are expected to narrow the gap behind England's world champion Cassie Campion in the new September WISPA World Rankings. The world No1 withdrew at the second round stage of the Al-Ahram International, then pulled out of the Heliopolis Open, following the death of her mother-in-law.

RESULTS: Women's Heliopolis Squash Open, Cairo, Egypt

Final:
[2] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [3] Carol Owens (AUS) 9-6 7-9 9-3 9-2

Semi-finals:
[3] Carol Owens (AUS) bt [4] Linda Charman (ENG) 10-8 9-1 9-0
[2]Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [6] Sabine Schoene (GER) 9-6 9-5 9-3

Quarter-finals:
[3] Carol Owens (AUS) bt [14] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-7 9-6 9-1
[4] Linda Charman (ENG) bt [7] Suzanne Horner (ENG) 9-0 9-0 2-9 9-7
[6] Sabine Schoene (GER) bt [5] Natalie Grainger (ENG) 10-9 3-9 8-10 9-5 9-4
[2] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [9] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-3 9-7 9-4

WISPA Press Release by Howard Harding

• Golestan Radwan: Egypt
• Tomas Barva, Czech Republic
• David Blick, Alaska USA
• Kim Tunney: Midwest USA
• Andre Maur: Atlanta USA
• Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
  

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