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

October 14, 2002 from Martin Bronstein in Odense

HISTORIC AND ALMOST HISTORIC

There was a helluva match between India and South Africa which had all sorts of historic overtones. Neither of them have a chance of going through to the next round but this did not stop Mekhala Subedar the Indian number three, giving Farrah Sterne a tremendous fight and saving three match balls in the fourth before losing a 60 minute battle.

South African team courtside (photo ©2002, courtesy Danish Squash, www.wwtc.dk)

Nitch was now in the groove and took the fourth 9-4 and then led 6-2 in the fifth game. Reddy made a valiant comeback to 5-6 and got a bad call which gave the serve back to Nitch who went on to close out the game and ensure the match for South Africa.

The third string produced the historic moment -first black woman to play for South Africa in a world championship as Siyoli Lusaseni beat Priyanka Yada for two points to complete the 3/0 victory. The 19 year old Lusaseni showed flair in this setting and should be a regular member of the South African squad. There was one question that remained unanswered: why did India rest their number one? Had she played they could have well run out winners rather than losers.

TILLMANN, FORMERLY SCHOENE
I didn’t recognise the name Tillman in Germany’s line-up until she got on court and there was the best squash player that country has ever produced, Sabine Schoene. She retired from the circuit a couple of years back and now plays just German leagues. She and young Nicol David had an interesting battle as Malaysia defended its seventh seeding against the unknown quantity of tenth seeded Germany.

Tillman started in confident fashion and took the first game from a player who was not warmed up or very nervous. I have never seen David so loose with her shots, which were often the wrong shots allowing Tillmann to put them away for winners. Nicol settled down in the second, hitting good length and putting the winning boasts and drops in at just the right time. She simply ran away with the game 9-0 in just over four minutes. Just as I started to think that Sabine was too old for this sort of thing, she got herself back in gear and the two players settled down to play some very good squash. I had forgotten just how wonderful Nicol David can be with her firefly movement around the court and her intelligent use of the ball. To counter this Sabine had mountains of experience to call on and so they pushed each other all the way to 8-8 with Sabine prevailing in the overtime 10-8. She actually led the fourth 4-0 but then the legs began to go while David kept the pace up, getting to everything and choosing the right shot every time. She caught up and ran on to win the fourth 9-5 in just seven minutes to tie the match.

Fatigue must have come in big time for Tillman and the fifth just ran away from her as Nicol took it 9-1 to give first blood to Malaysia.

Sabine took the loss badly, throwing water bottles around and wanting to be left alone. I quickly got our of range but half an hour later she was back to her normal humour and admitting that all those lessons she used to give, she should give some to herself, and admitting that she simply wasn’t fit enough to stay with someone like David.

Sharon Wee continued the winning trend and Tricia Chuah finished the match with another 3/0 victory over Jennifer Post.

SECOND SEEDS SUCCEED
England treated near-neighbours Ireland with no more respect than they treat anybody else and marched through them with hobnailed boots on. Linda Charman showed Ireland’s number one Madelaine Perry just how tough and accurate you have to be, even under pressure, to be in the top echelon. Her 3/0 victory was quickly followed by Tania Bailey who took just 19 minutes to beat Aislin Blake for the loss of three points. Blake could not offer the sort of resistance that would give an indication of Bailey’s form, but England assistant coach Paul Carter told me over breakfast that he thought she was back to 100 percent fitness after her accident filled year 12 months ago. If the expected Australia vs England final comes to pass, it is generally agreed it will all hinge on the number twos and Bailey will be facing the much improved Rachael Grinham.

Stephanie Brind cleaned up by beating Aisling McCardle, a player who always attracts a large male gallery who can never remember the score afterwards. Don’t ask…

Scottish team: Pamela Nimmo, Wendy Maitland, Lisa McKenna and Coach Derek Davidson (photo ©2002, courtesy Danish Squash, www.wwtc.dk)

Canada will have just as tough a job when they fight South Africa for the second spot in Pool A.

[full pool draws]

Pool A:
Australia 3 Spain 0
1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald bt Elisabet Sado 9-0 9-0 9-1 (18 min)
2 Natalie Grinham bt Olga Puigdemont Sola 10-8 9-2 9-1 (28 min)
3 Robyn Cooper bt Margaux Moros-Pitarch 9-6 9-0 9-0 (15 min)

South Africa 3 India 0
1 Farrah Sterne bt Mekhala Subedar 9-4 6-9 9-6 10-9 (53 min)
2 Claire Nitch bt Vaidehi Reddy 7-9 6-9 9-7 9-4 9-6 (45 min)
3 Siyole Lusaseni bt Priyanka Yadav 9-1 9-0 9-1 (15 min)

Pool B:
England 3 Ireland 0
1 Linda Charman bt Madeline Perry 9-2 9-3 9-2 (29 min)
2 Tania Bailey bt Aisling Blake 9-0 9-2 9-1 (19 min)
3 Stephanie Brind bt Aisling McArdle 9-0 9-2 9-1 (19 min)

Malaysia 3 Germany 0
1 Nicol David bt Sabine Tillman 2-9 9-0 8-10 9-5 9-1 (42 min)
2 Sharon Wee bt Karin Beriere 10-8 9-6 9-0 (33 min)
3 Tricia Chuah bt Jennifer Post 9-4 9-4 9-0 (23 min)

Pool C:
New Zealand 3 Japan 0
1 Carol Owens bt Chinatsu Matsui 9-0 9-1 9-0 (19 min)
2 Shelley Kitchen bt Yoriko Michishita 9-3 9-1 9-0 (20 min)
3 Lara Petera bt Eri Tsuchida 9-5 9-1 9-1 (20 min)

Netherlands 3 France 0
1 Vanessa Atkinson bt Isabelle Stoehr 9-1 9-7 9-4 (32 min)
2 Annelize Naude bt Corinne Castets 9-7 9-4 9-5 (31 min)
3 Daphne Jelgersma bt Laurence Bois 9-5 4-9 10-8 9-2 (41 min)


Pool D:
Egypt 3 Austria 0
1 Omneya Abdel Kawy bt Pamela Pancis 9-6 9-5 9-0 (25 min)
2 Eman El Amir bt Ines Gradnitzer 9-2 9-1 9-2 (17 min)
3 Salma Shabana bt Theresa Gradnitzer 9-1 9-4 9-4 (18 min)

Scotland 3 Hong Kong 0
1 Pamela Nimmo bt Rebecca Chiu 9-0 9-5 6-9 9-4 (42 min)
2 Senga Macfie bt Karen Lau 9-1 9-5 9-0 (19 min)
3 Wendy Maitland bt Elise Ng 9-4 9-7 9-4 (23 min)