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Melbourne Women's World Preview
by Elspeth Burnside Oct 10, 2001 © 2001 Elspeth Burnside and Squashtalk
[last update was 14-oct-01 ]

2001 SquashTalk coverage will feature live updates throughout the event from squash journalist Elspeth Burnside.

Carol Owens and Sarah Fitz-Gerald face off in the town they both grew up in

Carol Owens won the World Open for Australia last year - but she will be very much the villain when she bids to deny Sarah Fitz-Gerald a fourth title in her home city of Melbourne.

Since claiming the crown in Edinburgh, Scotland, a year ago, Owens, who is seeded no 2 in the event running from October 14-19, has switched allegiance to New Zealand, her country of residence.

By contrast, Fitz-Gerlad has won the hearts of the Australian fans and bolstered her

Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Carol Owens both grew up in Melbourne. Both girls trained with Sarah's mother as young juniors!

image by fighting back from career-threatening knee operations to reclaim the world no 1 ranking. During her recuperation from knee surgery, it was the dream of winning a fourth World Open as the home town girl that helped sustain her enthusiasm for a comeback. And the 32-year-old has demonstrated perfect timing in her return to the very top.

Fitz-Gerald claimed her first British Open in England in June, and by winning her 47th career title, the Qatar Classic, in Doha last week, she has just reclaimed the world no 1 ranking for the first time in three years. Her rise back to no 1 was too late for the seedings - she will be no three behind New Zealand's Leilana Joyce and Owens - but she will start favourite with the fans and the bookmakers.

"The World Open in Melbourne has long been my goal," she confirmed. "It would be perfect to round it off with a fourth World Open in front of my home supporters." Fitz-Gerald headed the world rankings in an unbroken run from November 1996 until November 1998 prior to the two knee operations that could have forced the end of her career. But now she is already looking far beyond this week, with next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, another important date on the calendar.

New Zealander Joyce, the beaten finalist last year, is bidding to set a first World Open alongside the 1999 British Open.