2002 SquashTalk coverage will feature live
updates throughout the event from Martin Bronstein

October 13, 2002 from Martin Bronstein in Odense

NO FIRM FAVOURITE

This is a hard one to forecast; once the passion of Leilani Rorani’s wedding night became human and she withdrew from the New Zealand team, the certainty of a Kiwi title – with Carol Owens and Leilani at one and two – disappeared and Australia went into the favourite spot. Not hot favourites, but favourites. With the unbeatable Sarah Fitz-Gerald at number one and the vastly improved Rachael Grinham at two there is only one team that could pose a threat and that is England. Linda Charman has pushed Fitz-Gerald recently but no-one would put money on her to beat her….but in team sport, anything can happen. Tania Bailey has all the ammunition to beat Rachel Grinham and so it would come down to which country has the better number three. England, as usual have strength in depth and can call on the experience of Fiona Geaves, who, despite being in her fourth decade is still playing well enough to be world ranked at ten. Or they can call on Stephanie Brind, currently ranked eight. Australia’s number three, Natalie Grinham, is ranked 13 but has not shown the form to better either Brind or Geaves.

Then there’s Egypt who will have to be watched very carefully. Omneya Abdel Kawy is improving every month. Watching her play it is hard to believe that this accomplished player is still only 17 and will be the clear favorite to win the world junior title next year in her native land. Although number three Engy Kheirallah withdrew with a serious respitory infection, Salma Shabana was brought back just six months after giving birth to her and Elborolossy’s son Marwen. (The baby was courtside, stuck in a Dunlop sports bag). Trimmer than ever she was playing well for somebody who has only been back on court for two months.

Australia started off with a comprehensive 9/0 victory over Canada and then did the same over a young team from India, who are making their debut in women’s senior championships, having only participated in women’s junior championships before. Two of the players have been promoted from the juniors and, at just 16 years old, must count this event as experience.

Canada then beat Spain 9/0 and must be keen to improve on their ninth seeding. While they don’t have the quality to think about a top four finish in Melanie Jans, Margo Green, Lauren Wagner and Carolyn Russell, they have a lot of experience.

The United States team can also boast players experienced in international team championships, but they had to face Egypt at noon on the first day. It turned out to be low noon as they were beaten 3/0 but Julia Beaver got very close, having match point in the fourth against Eman El Amir before losing 9-7 in the fifth.

Latasha Khan playing at one had to face the precocious Omneya Abdel Kawy who beat her in three in 19 minutes. “It was pretty hard facing her first match,” Khan told Squashtalk. I just wasn’t hitting good length. She is so good at the front, so you have to put her in the back corners to get her worried and I wasn’t doing that.”

Bottom seed Austria gave the US team no trouble and Latasha, her sister Shabana and Meredith Quick all won , Quick looking very composed in her 3/0 victory, but Shabana lost a hard first game 8-10 before taking the next three by the same score, 9-5.

Carol Owens and Shelley Kitchen looked comfortable in chalking up 3/0 wins against both Denmark, seeded 11, and France seeded 14.

THE POOLS
Australia will obviously take Pool A with Canada fighting South Africa for second spot. With Claire Nitch the only known name in the South African team, Canada are facing a bit of an unknown quantity.

England will have no trouble in taking top spot in Pool B with seventh seeded Malaysia as runners up as neither Germany or Ireland have the strength to push them.

Pool C is New Zealand’s , not really worried about the Netherlands, despite being coached by Liz Irving and having Vanessa Atkinson at number one. This leaves Egypt to win Pool D with USA and Scotland to fight for second place, which could be one of the most interesting matches of the pool stage.

Watch for the American Diary, as Squashtalk keeps a close eye on the US team’s progress.

[full pool draws]

DAY ONE RESULTS:
Pool A:
Australia 3 Canada 0
1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald bt Melanie Jans 9-1 9-4 9-1 (21 min)
2 Rachael Grinham bt Margo Green 9-2 9-1 9-3 (23 min)
3 Natalie Grinham bt Lauren Wagner 9-1 9-1 9-6 (21 min)

South Africa 3 Spain 0
1 Farrah Sterne bt Elisabet Sado 9-5 9-5 9-2 (20 min)
2 Claire Nitch bt Olga Puigdemont Sola 9-3 9-7 9-0 (20 min)
3 Sjeanne Cawdry bt Laia Sans 9-6 9-0 9-6 (30 min)

Australia 3 India 0
1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald bt Joshna Chinappa 9-0 9-1 9-0 (14 min)
2 Rachael Grinham bt Mekhala Subedar 9-3 9-2 9-2 (30 min)
3 Robyn Cooper bt Vaidehi Reddy 9-1 9-0 9-1 (19 min)

Canada 3 Spain 0
1 Melanie Jans bt Elisabet Sado 9-5 9-2 9-1(19 min)
2 Margo Green bt Laia Sans 10-8 9-7 9-3 (35 min)
3 Carolyn Russell bt Margaux Moros-Pitarch 9-1 9-1 9-0 (17 min)

Pool B:
England 3 Germany 0
1 Linda Charman bt Karin Beriere 9-3 9-2 9-0 (22 min)
2 Stephanie Brind bt Jennifer Post 9-5 9-4 9-2 (21 min)
3 Fiona Geaves bt Simone Leifels 9-4 9-3 9-1 (16 min)

Malaysia 3 Ireland 0
1 Nicol David bt Madeline Perry 9-3 9-5 4-9 9-1 (36 min)
2 Sharon Wee bt Aisling Blake 9-4 9-0 9-0 (26 min)
3 Tricah Chuah bt Aisling McArdle 9-3 9-2 9-3 (20 min)

Pool C:
New Zealand 3 Denmark 0
1 Carol Owens bt Ellen Hamborg-Petersen 9-6 9-0 9-1 (23 min)
2 Shelley Kitchen bt Julie Dorn-Jensen 9-1 9-1 9-1 (25 min)
3 Sarah Cook bt Mette Jørgensen 9-6 9-2 9-4 (23 min)

Netherlands 3 Japan 0
1 Vanessa Atkinson bt Mami Nishio 6-9 9-4 9-1 9-0 (34 min)
2 Annelize Naude bt Yoriko Michishita 9-1 9-0 9-0 (16 min)
3 Daphne Jelgersma bt Eri Tsuchida 10-9 9-0 9-1 (32 min)

New Zealand 3 France 0
1 Carol Owens bt Isabelle Stoehr 9-2 9-5 9-2 (32 min)
2 Shelley Kitchen bt Corinne Castets 9-3 9-2 9-0 (22 min)
3 Sarah Cook bt Laurence Bois 9-3 9-6 9-4 (21 min)

Denmark 2 Japan 1
1 Ellen Hamborg-Petersen bt Chinatsu Matsui 9-1 9-2 9-2 (20 min)
2 Line Hansen lost to Mami Nishio 10-8 0-9 2-9 4-9 (38 min)
3 Julie Dorn-Jensen bt Eri Tsuchida 9-3 9-2 9-2 (24 min)

Pool D:
Egypt 3 USA 0
1 Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Latasha Khan 9-5 9-3 9-0 (19 min)
2 Maha Zein bt Shabana Khan 9-1 9-4 9-4 (21 min)
3 Eman El Amir bt Julia Beaver 4-9 10-8 8-10 10-8 9-7 (59 min)

Scotland 3 Austria 0
1 Pamela Nimmo bt Ines Gradnitzer 9-2 9-1 9-3 (21 min)
2 Senga Macfie bt Birgit Coufal 9-1 9-3 9-3 (20 min)
3 Lisa McKenna bt Sissi Colli 9-4 9-3 10-8 (22 min)

Egypt 3 Hong Kong 0
1 Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Christina Mak 9-0 9-2 9-0 (15 min)
2 Maha Zein bt Karen Lau 9-2 9-5 9-0 (19 min)
3 Salma Shabana bt Elise Ng 9-5 9-0 9-0 (18 min)

USA 3 Austria 0
1 Latasha Khan bt Pamela Pancis 9-4 9-2 9-3 (23 min)
2 Shabana Khan bt Ines Gradnitzer 8-10 9-5 9-5 9-5 (39 min)
3 Meredith Quick bt Birgit Coufal 9-1 9-4 9-4 (27 min)