WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: Women's Citroen Classic, Parsdorf, Germany

ENGLAND'S CHARMAN UPSETS WORLD CHAMPION FITZ-GERALD

Michelle Martin overcomes Cassie Jackman in Final:

Australia's world No. 1 Michelle Martin claimed her first WISPA World Tour title of 1999 when she beat Cassie Jackman, the world No4 from England, 7/9 9/3 9/5 9/5 in 55 minutes in the final of the $30,000 Citroen Classic in Parsdorf, Germany.

Fourth seed Jackman, the 26-year-old British champion from Norfolk, was the first player to take a game from the 31-year-old top seed from Sydney in the year's opening women's Grand Prix event.

Martin, who won ten WISPA World Tour titles in 1998, as well as squash's first Commonwealth Games gold medal, has boosted her chances of retaining her World Grand Prix Finals title in Egypt next week. The $41,000 event, featuring the world's top eight women, gets underway in Hurghada this Thursday (15 April).

Semi-finals report:

Australia's top seed Michelle Martin cruised into the final of the first women's Grand Prix squash event of the year when she beat Germany's Sabine Schoene 9/2 9/6 9/4 in the semi-finals of the $30,000 Citroen Classic in Parsdorf, Germany.

Martin, the world No. 1 from Sydney, now meets England's 4^th seed Cassie Jackman, who needed five games to overcome New Zealand's 6^th seed Leilani Joyce 4/9 10/8 9/4 3/9 9/1. -

Quarter-finals report:

Germany's Sabine Schoene raised domestic hopes in the $30,000 Citroen Classic in her home town of Parsdorf, when she fought back from two games down to beat England's 5th seed Suzanne Horner 7/9 3/9 9/6 9/5 9/0 in the quarter-finals of the first women's Grand Prix squash event of the year.

The 25-year-old world No 8 now faces Australia's top seed Michelle Martin, the world No 1 from Sydney, who dismissed South Africa's Natalie Grainger 9/2 9/6 9/5.

England's unseeded Linda Charman, who beat world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald to reach the quarter-finals, lost in straight games to sixth seed Leilani Joyce. The world No 6 from New Zealand's semi-final opponent will be another high ranked English woman, 4^th seed Cassie Jackman, who beat Australia's Carol Owens 10/8 9/3 9/1.

First Round action:

Linda Charman, England's 27-year-old world No. 11 from Hailsham (near Eastbourne) in Sussex, scored the biggest upset in a women's squash Grand Prix event for more than a year when she beat Australia's world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald 9/2 9/0 1/9 9/7 in the first round of the $30,000 Citroen Classic in Parsdorf, Germany.

Only last week, the 30-year-old three-times world champion from Melbourne defeated England's world No 4 Cassie Jackman three times in succession in the Dunlop SRA 'Rest of the World v England' Test Series, having earlier beaten compatriot Michelle Martin, the world No 1, in the final of the Cumberland Classic in London.

In the first Grand Prix event of the year, Charman now faces world No 6 Leilani Joyce after the New Zealander beat England's Jane Martin 9/6 9/5 9/7 to reach the quarter-finals.

England's world No 3 Sue Wright, the third seed, withdrew from the Parsdorf event suffering from flu.

RESULTS:

Finals:
[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) bt [4] Cassie Jackman (ENG) 7/9 9/3 9/5 9/5

Semi-finals:

[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) bt [8] Sabine Schoene (GER) 9/2 9/6 9/4
[4] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [6] Leilani Joyce (NZL) 4/9 10/8 9/4 3/9 9/1

Quarter-finals:
>[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) bt [7] Natalie Grainger (RSA) 9/2 9/6 9/5
[8] Sabine Schoene (GER) bt [5] Suzanne Horner (ENG) 7/9 3/9 9/6 9/5 9/0
[4] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt Carol Owens (AUS) 10/8 9/3 9/1
[6] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt Linda Charman (ENG) 9/1 9/3 9/1

1st round:
[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) bt [Q] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9/6 9/0 9/2
[7] Natalie Grainger (RSA) bt Rebecca Macree (ENG) 6/9 9/3 9/1 9/4
[5] Suzanne Horner (ENG) bt Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9/3 9/3 9/2
[8] Sabine Schoene (GER) bt [Q] Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9/4 4/9 9/2 9/5
Carol Owens (AUS) bt [Q] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 9/6 9/4 9/1
[4] Cassie Jackman (ENG) bt [Q] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 9/4 9/2 9/2
[6] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt Jane Martin (ENG) 9/6 9/5 9/7
Linda Charman (ENG) bt [2] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) 9/2 9/0 1/9 9/7

Issued on behalf of WISPA by Howard Harding

For further information: Howard Harding Email: HowHard@aol.com

10,11,12 April 1999