SquashTalk>Women's World Open >Womens World third round

[last update was 13-nov-00 ]

Third round notes from Sarah Fitz-Gerald

11.13.00 by Sarah Fitz-Gerald

Eye Group Women's World Open Squash Championship, Edinburgh, Scotland

My first match for the 2000 World Championships was scheduled against my old rival and long time friend Liz Irving from Australia. So much emphasis in placed on this tournament by the World calender as well as yourself, that I was anxious to get the match and the tournament under way. Fortunately my fitness and my overall game was too strong for Liz and I won comfortably in 23 minutes 9/3,9/0,9/3.

Four other seeds in the top half of the draw Owens, Charman, Schoene and Tranfield went through without too much fuss.

MACFIE PLAYS WELL
Scottish No 2 Senga Macfie playing some of the best squash I had seen from her in years put England's Tania Bailey on the ropes moving the ball around the court effectively not allowing the World No 6 to get her rhythm and lead 6-1 in the 4th before losing her own momentum and consequently the match 9/6,1/9,9/3,9/6 in 43 minutes.

BOTWRIGHT SUCCEEDS
Manchester's Vicky Botwright advanced to the second round after finally upsetting South Africa's Claire Nitch 9/3,9/6,9/1. Botwright won in a much deserved 25 minutes and avenging her 3-2 defeat in the semi finals in Singapore from last September.

Local favourite and Scottish No.1 Pamela Nimmo was forced to work hard in front of her home crowd to defend her new No 16 ranking defeating the rapidly improving Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand 7/9,9/4,9/4,10/8 in 43 minutes.

The remainder of the draw went according to plan with all seeded players moving through to the next round, with only Natalie Grainger of England dropping a game to Danish Ellen Petersen 10/8,9/7,1/9,9/0 in 41 minutes. The round of 16 moves to the impressive glass court erected at the Meadowbank Stadium.

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