Carol Owens Keeps Australia atop WISPA Squash in her best win to take Grand Prix Finals

Colin McQuillan's News Report and Analysis. 4/08/2000.

Women's Al Ahram Grand Prix Finals, Hurghada Egypt

Move Over Governor: Carol Owen Scores Her Biggest Win Ever

They raised a concrete mermaid out of the Red Sea to mark the end of the Al Ahram WISPA World Grand Prix Finals in Hurghada, Egypt.

It was a pleasing enough sound and light show, but one was left wishing they had opted for a statue of Carol Owens instead to mark her takeover of the resort. They kept introducing the Governor of the Red Sea before the playing sessions. This writer at least was constantly expecting Owens to step up for the applause. Cassie Campion's hopes of adding the World Grand Prix title to the World Open Championship she won in Seattle last year were dashed in tonight when she became the final victim of an extraordinary run of form from the Australian world number five.

Owens, a 28-year-old from Melbourne who now plays out of Auckland in New Zealand, defeated the 27-year-old Halifax based world champion 9-1 5-9 5-9 9-2 9-2 in the 62 minute final of the Al Ahram WISPA World Grand Prix play-offs on a wind-buffeted Perspex court on the beach front of the Marriott Hotel at the Red Sea resort.

Campion may have assumed her biggest battle was behind her with the 84 minute 10-9 8-10 9-5 3-9 9-0 semi-final revenge she visited upon New Zealand's Leilani Joyce, the Maori player who unexpectedly defeated her in the British Open final last December. But Owens was inspired in Egypt, her favourite competition venue, and was convinced after the final that she had started a move towards the top of the game. "I always play well in this country, but I have never been able to go all the way with my performances," she said. "I reached the final here last year and the final of the Al Ahram International in September, but I lost both times. "Now I feel I have established my winning credentials and, if I can do it outside Egypt as well, I could move up on the number one spot."

This was the Australian's finest victory, in fact her first major win on the WISPA World Tour. It gives her a 5-2 edge over Campion, with four of the victories in Egypt After preparing for the play-offs by contesting the men's weekend squash circuit in New Zealand for eight weeks, Owens ran straight through the Hurghada women's field undefeated. She started the week by catching Campion napping in the first qualifying round and went on to defeat the world number four, Natalie Grainger, and the World Over-35 Champion, Suzanne Horner, in her other qualifying matches, and the world number three , Linda Charman, in the semi-finals.

It was a tour-de-force based on all-court action, fearless shotmaking in the frontcourt and crisp driving attack. "I felt pumped up every time I came on court. I just couldn't wait to get into action all week," she said.

Campion was also in good form after her poor start to the tournament, producing one of her best positive performances to defeat Joyce and working her way into the final with diligent early ball rallying after the tough little Australian ripped away the opening game for a single point in just eight minutes.

The world champion played with such determined confidence through the following two games, finishing one with as fine a forehand volley drop as she has ever manufactured and the next in three hands of measured brilliance. But when Owens bounced back into the attack for the fourth Campion was noticeably off the pace. In the last game she served nine times but could garner only a couple of points.

Al Ahram Womens World Grand Prix Finals

Final Result:
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Cassie Campion (Eng) 9-1 5-9 5-9 9-2 9-2

Third Place Playoff:
Leilani Joyce (NZ) bt Linda Charman (Eng) 9-2 9-5

Semi-finals:
[5] Carol Owens (AUS) bt [3] Linda Charman (ENG) 9-0 9-2 9-5
[1] Cassie Campion (ENG) bt [2] Leilani Joyce (NZL) 10-9 8-10 9-5 3-9 9-0

Third Qualifying Round :
Pool A
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Natalie Grainger (Eng) 9-6 10-8 5-9 8-10 9-6
Cassie Campion (Eng) bt Suzanne Horner (Eng) 9-7 9-2 9-7

Pool B
Leilani Joyce (NZ) bt Linda Charman (Eng) 10-8 8-10 9-3 9-1
Sabine Schoene (Ger) bt Fiona Geaves (Eng) 9-2 9-1 9-3

Second Qualifying Round (Wednesday)

Pool A
Cassie Campion (Eng) bt Natalie Grainger (Eng) 9-5 9-4 9-3
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Suzanne Horner (Eng) 9-2 9-2 10-8

Pool B
Linda Charman (Eng) bt Fiona Geaves (Eng) 9-6 9-2 9-3
Leilani Joyce (NZ) bt Sabine Schoene (Ger) 9-4 7-9 2-9 9-5 9-6

First Qualifying Round (Tuesday)

Pool A
C.Owens (Aus) bt C.Campion (Engt) 2-9 9-3 9-0 9-2
N.Grainger (Eng) bt Suzanne Horner (Eng) 10-8 9-0 8-10 9-1

Pool B
L.Joyce (NZ) bt F.Geaves (Eng) 9-3 9-1 9-6
L. Charman (Eng) bt S. Schone (Ger) 9-0 9-2 5-9 9-2

Issued on behalf of WISPA by Howard Harding

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