Photos also by Kim Tunney: top, Tania Bailey faces Sabine Schoene, bottom, Stephanie Brind versus Michelle Martin
In the land of bytes, bits and Bill Gates, the 1999 WISPA Women's World Squash Championships finished 2nd round play today at the Seattle Athletic Club. Under the superb organization of Yusif Khan, Tournament Director, Shabana Khan, SAC squash pro, and their extended family, this event marks the first time a World Open event has ever been staged in America. Leave it to the Khan's fundraising and promotional expertise, coupled with the club's operational savvy, to pull this all together. The affair is sold out.
Not present at the proceedings to defend her World Open Title is WISPA President Sarah Fitzgerald (Australia, No. 2) who is still competitively tentative on-court due to knee surgery performed earlier this year. Although Victoria Squash Institute's Roger Flynn feels she is as fit as he's ever seen her, the inability to perform twisting and turning movements under pressure has reduced her current game to one of length only. Fitzgerald is expected back on tour in January for three American events in New York, Chicago and Greenwich.
With serious threats reduced to second seed Leilani Joyce (New Zealand, No. 3) and fourth seed Cassie Campion (England, No. 5), Michelle Martin looks like the odds on favorite to win the World Open title.
All three ladies are among the top eight competitors that push through to Friday's quarterfinal round in addition to Carol Owens (Australia, No. 10), Natalie Grainger (England, No. 4), Linda Charman (England, No. 7) and Suzanne Horner, (England, No. 6). Missing from the top eight is Sabine Schoene (Germany, No. 9) who went down in a blaze against rising star Tania Bailey also from England.
Those Seattle spectators who stayed for the final 2nd second round match-up were rewarded with a dazzling display of volleying combined with mental toughness from Bailey who held off the emotional Shoene 10/9, 9/1, 10/9. Coached by Paul Stuart and Dave Pearson, Bailey stuck to a game plan that controlled Shoene and called for taking the ball early, volleying and stepping into the middle. This strategy prevented Shoene from "slamming it down from the middle", her strength, explained Bailey.
The 20-year-old Bailey, who trains in London, fired a warning shot with this victory and proves that she has what it takes to make it to the next level. She squares-off tonight in the last scheduled match of the evening again against Joyce and will keep the crowd in their seats until then.
Two other WISPA rising stars, Vanessa Atkinson (Netherlands) and Stephanie Brind (England) made it into 2nd round play but both fell short. The redheaded and newly engaged Atkinson, lost to the recently married Campion 9/2, 9/1, 9/6. Atkinson, who will marry PSA's Billy Haddrell July 8, 2000, felt she "didn't have a chance to get it together until the third game". She wound up behind Campion on court in games one and two, finally stepped into the middle in the third but the effort was too little too late. "She was just too good," concluded Atkinson.
A fit and trim Brind faced Martin and earned 13 points against her due in part to Martin's string of unforced errors. "I was happy with my performance. I have been playing well lately and have played her a couple of times." Training with John Milton and Paul Carter in London, Brind realizes what she will need to break through to the top 20. "I hope to train to gain more power and explosive movement. I need to get onto the ball earlier," she confides.
Will this be the year for Martin? Like Bill Gates, she plays with power, moves with great pace against all challengers and hopes to be victorious. So while Gates awaits here in Seattle for the verdict that might split his Microsoft in two, squash enthusiasts watch to see who may emerge to potentially dismantle Martin.
advertisement
