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Owens, Fitz-Gerald to Clash
by Elspeth Burnside Oct 17, 2001 © 2001 Elspeth Burnside and Squashtalk
[last update was 18-oct-01 ]

Women's World Quarters- 2, Men's Challenger day three.
 [Women's Draw]     [Men's Draw]

MELBOURNE FOES PROVIDE SHOWS OF STRENGTH

Melbourne, Oct 17 2001.

WOMEN'S OPEN

Defending champion Carol Owens, from New Zealand, and Australia's Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the world no 1, were both in outstanding form as they crushed English opposition to set-up a needle semi-final clash in the World Open at the Sports and Aquatics Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

Owens beat 1999 winner Cassie Campion 9-5, 9-4, 9-4, while Fitz-Gerald was even more impressive in crushing veteran Suzanne Horner 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 in the last of the quarter-finals. So now the crowd are all ready for an intriguing battle between the two Melbourne-born players.

OWENS JUST WANTS RESPECT
Owens, who has lived in Auckland for two years, switched her allegiance to New Zealand just last month, claiming that she never got the recognition she was always overshadowed by Fitz-Gerald in her native country.

"It was all Sarah; she was always the one," said Owens, the no 2 seed. "But this is a

Carol Owens - Edinburgh, 2000 World Champ

match I really wanted to happen. I hope to go out there tomorrow and let my racket do the talking. "I was a little apprehensive about the reaction from the crowd, but they've been great. I've also got the Kiwis supporting me so it's a double bonus.

Against Campion, who underwent a back operation last November and spent six months out of the sport, Owens' only real moment of concern came when she was hit on the nose by the English woman's racket and was forced to take a five minute injury break. "It's throbbing, and I hope I don't have two black eyes tomorrow," she laughed afterwards. "But I'm just delighted to get through. Today was my pressure match, now I have nothing to lose because I'm playing the world no 1."

FITZ-GERALD FOCUSED
Fitz-Gerald needed just 25 minutes to oust 38-year-old Horner, who won the World Masters 35-39 age-group title in the same arena last Saturday, and stay on course for a fourth World Open. After three years struggling with knee injuries - she underwent two operations - the 32-year-old came back to win a first British Open in June and she reclaimed the world no 1 ranking just this month. "After all I've been through I'm just happy to be playing so well again, especially here in my home city," she said. "But I know it will be tough against Carol." In the other semi-final, New Zealand's Leilani Joyce meets England's Linda Charman-Smith. They both won their quarter-finals on Tuesday. Results (seedings in brackets)

Quarter-finals:
(3) Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus) bt (7) Suzanne Horner (Eng) 9-0, 9-4, 9-2;
(2) Carol Owens (NZL) bt (11) bt Cassie Campion (Eng) 9-5, 9-4, 9-4

WSF MEN'S WORLD CHALLENGE
France's Thierry Lincou, the no 1 seed, cruised through to the third round of the WSF World Challenge with a 9-7, 9-2, 9-2 victory over Ireland's Patrick Foster, but a few seeds fell by the wayside. England's Peter Marshall, the former world no 2, saw his attempted comeback from injury suffer another blow when he lost in four games - 9-1, 9-2, 6-9, 9-6 - to the unseeded Shahid Zaman, from Pakistan. Marshall, seeded 14th this week, spent a couple of years sidelined by chronic fatique syndrome, and the man famous for his two-handed backhand has recently been dogged by back problems. Australia's Billy Haddrell pleased the home crowd by upsetting the no 10 seed, Mansoor Zaman, from Pakistan, in a tight five-setter. The local man won 9-4, 6-9, 9-2, 6-9, 9-6, while France's Gregory Gaultlier ousted the no 13 seed, Wael Hatim El Hindi, from Egypt.

Results (seedings in brackets) Second round:
[1] Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Patrick Foster (IRL) 9-7 9-2 9-2 (27m)
[9] Anthony Ricketts (AUS) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 9-1 9-4 9-2 (27m)
[5] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Craig van der Wath (RSA) 3-9 9-4 9-5 9-1 (44m)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [13] Wael El Hind (EGY) 9-3 4-9 9-4 5-9 9-7 (78m)
[3] Omar Elborolossy (EGY) bt Ajaz Azmat (PAK) 9-3 9-4 9-7 (48m)
Billy Haddrell (AUS) bt [10] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 9-6 6-9 9-2 6-9 9-6 (52m)
[7] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Gavin Jones (WAL) 6-9 9-2 10-8 9-1 (56m)
[16] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Dan Jenson (AUS) 6-9 9-2 9-0 9-3 (32m)
[15] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 9-5 9-2 9-5 (38m)
[6] John Williams (AUS) bt Mika Monto (FIN) 9-7 9-6 9-3 (39m)
[11] Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Adrian Hansen (RSA) 2-9 9-6 4-9 9-1 9-0 (61m)
[4] Kareem Darwish (EGY) bt Glen Whittaker (RSA) 9-7 9-5 1-9 7-9 9-5 (71m)
Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt [14] Peter Marshall (ENG) 9-1 9-2 6-9 9-6 (40m)
[8] Tommy Berden (NED) bt Kenneth Low (MAS) 9-5 9-3 9-4 (36m)
[12] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) 9-1 9-7 9-4 (45m)
[2] Paul Price (AUS) bt Mikkel Korsbjerg (DEN) 9-3 9-1 9-3 (41m)