SquashTalk>Women's World Open >Womens World Semi finals - by Martin Bronstein

[last update was 16-nov-00 ]

Owens over Fitz-Gerald in close five game match, Joyce over Grainger also in five

11.16.00 by Martin Bronstein

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

Full report

GREAT QUALITY SQUASH

The Eye Group who have signed a $10 million deal with WISPA must be feeling very good after watching the semi finals in Edinburgh today.

Finally we had two superb matches showcasing women's squash of the highest order.

Strange coincidences prevailed as both matches saw the eventual winner tak a two game lead only to be forced into a five setter.

GRAINGER DOES IT AGAIN - BUT LOSES
In a superb semi-final that gave the crowed a taste of the best that squash has to offer, Natalie Grainger, the South African/ English world number seven, made yet another unbelievable come back after facing match ball at two games down and 2-8 in the third. Her comeback stopped when she led 5-2 in the fifth when it was Joyce's turn to make a comeback.

SHOTS, SHOTS AND MORE SHOTS.
Grainger is the most audacious shotmaker on the WISPA circuit - it is both her making and her undoing. She enjoys using her skills so much that is sometimes get the better of common sense. In the first game she was 3-1 down. She took service back with a forehand boast from Joyce's serve followed it with a backhand crosscourt drop, then a forehand drop, another forehand drop, got a stroke and then hit her best shot - backhand drop to go 6-3 up.

Joyce didn't know what had hit her or what to do until Grainger tried one too many backhand drops which Joyce slammed down the wall for a winner to stop the rot and then hit some winners of her own to run from 3-6 to 9-6.

ERRORS AND MORE ERRORS
In the second game Grainger still wasn't prepared to be patient and she committed seven errors on the way to virtually handing Joyce the game 9-3. Yes, she did hit some delicious winners, including two spectacular cross court drops, but unless she changed her ways she was dead. Her mother Jean, a former British squash champion, kept intoning "Work," and that seemed to work in cutting out her errors, but Joyce was now playing better squash - still not her best - and moved to match ball at 8-2 and then gave Grainger a lifeline with a backhand drop into the tin.

No-one could have expected how much Grainger took advantage of this. She strung together seven points, most of them coming on the backhand which constantly had Joyce struggling. She served for the game, Joyce hit a backhand boast to take serve and hit a low cross court drive to get to 9-all to serve for the match yet again. The next rally was supreme, accompanied by tremendous tension from the spectators, but it was another Grainger drop that saved the day and she then took the game with an exquisite forehand drop that left Joyce with no chance.

WORK, WORK, WORK
With this game in the bag Grainger dominated the next game and worked a little harder before going for her backhand winners. She has guts galore: if a shot is on she will go for it and on the whole, it paid off in winners far more than losers - and that doesn't include the psychological damage it does to your opponent. Joyce admitted afterwards that she was amazed by Grainger's stream of "unbelievable winners". Grainger was in full flow and went from 1-3 to 9-4 in nine minutes.

THE BIG FIFTH
Grainger came on for the fifth like a winner. Backhand drop, backhand drive, forehand boast, stop volley drop, forehand drop into the nick, a backhand boast and she was 5-2 up. Just when she looked unstoppable Joyce won a dropping duel and then got two strokes to put her level. Grainger's energy level seemed to drop as Joyce hit a series of beautiful shots and at 8-5 completely deceived Grainger with a backhand cross court. Grainger, looking for the drive found herself yards from the ball. Her head dropped and then she shook hands as the two players left the court to a huge ovation.

OWEN BRIMMING CONFIDENCE.
I wrote earlier this week that all Owen needed was a lot more confidence to make her the complete player. After beating Sarah Fitz-Gerald, she echoed my words. "I kept telling myself how confident I was because I've always lacked confidence," she said still bathed in sweat and smiles.

She started off with confidence oozing out every pore, dominating the match from the start and Fitz-Gerald, not hitting the ball as hard as she usually does, was not allowed to settle. This match didn't have the fireworks of the first, it was more of a mind battle and Owens had the edge as she moved the ball around the court, giving the impression that she might be testing her opponent's fitness. Fitz-Gerald allowed her to dictate the pace and naturally Owens won the game 9-6 after 14 ½ minutes.

DISGUISE AND DOMINATION
Owens continued in the second, almost with disdain, hitting her own very special disguised backhand cross courts from the back corner which found Fitz-Gerald stuck on the T. At game ball 8-2 Owens hit her second error of the game and then suddenly hit another four as Fit-Gerald made a spirited comeback with her special disguised backhand boast. Owens stopped the run at 8-5 with a feather forehand drop and went on to take the final point with a stroke.

NIP AND TUCK
Fitz-Gerald found a little more power and Owens then went tentative to give her opponent the initiative. It was point for point and Fitz-Gerald had a patch of smacking the ball with real power and she took the game 9-7 after 14 minutes of very good tactical squash. The fourth was a cruise for Fitz-Gerald as she took the game 9-5 in eight minutes from Owens who seemed to have lost her way. But she came back for the fifth with the winner's look in her eye and Fitz-Gerald was once more chasing rainbows as she could do nothing to take back the initiative.

Owens never relinquished the lead and although she made far more errors than her opponent, she more than made up for it in tactics and determination. She thought she'd won on her second match ball at 8-6 only for the referee to give a let on an earlier questionable pickup. Owens served for the match twice more before taking thre 20 minute game 9-6. "This game is so mental it's ridiculous," Owens said at her press conference. "I was confident because I had beaten Sarah in the British Open and the Australian Open." If the final is anywhere as good as either of these matches, considering it will have two fairly tired combatants, then we shall all go home happy.

For the latest results go to www.squashtalk.com/womensworld

Natalie Grainger put together an extremely strong tournament, pushing Leilani Joyce to the limit.

Leilani has several straight wins over Carol Owens, but Carol is looking strong and Leilani is looking beatable. (Fritz Borchert photo for Squashtalk © 2000)

Sarah Fitz-Gerald fell short in an exciting semi with Carol Owens (file photo © 2000 Steve Line)

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

Semifinals:

Leilani Joyce beat Natalie Grainger 9-6, 9-3, 9-10, 4-9, 9-5
Carol Owens beat Sarah Fitz-Gerald 9-6, 9-5, 7-9, 5-9, 9-6

Quarterfinals Wednesday:

Natalie Grianger (eng) bt Stephanie Brind( Eng) 9-2, 9-5, 9-3. Carol Owens (Aus) bt Tania Bailey (Eng) 9-2, 9-5, 9-3
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus) def Linda Charman (Eng) 9-3, 9-0, 9-1

Round of 16 results:
Carol Owens (Aus) bt Vicky Botwritght (Eng) 9-3, 9-0, 9-2.
Tania Bailey (Eng) bt Sabine Schoene (Ger) 9-2, 10-9, 9-7.
Linda Charman (Eng) bt Pamela Nimmo(Sco) 9-5e, 9-2, 9-2.
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus) bt Jenny Tranfield (Eng) 9-0, 9-1, 9-2.
Stephaine Brind (Eng) bt Fiona Geaves (Eng) 9-0, 3-9, 8-10, 9-2, 9-2
Natalie Grainger (Eng) bt Rachel Grinham (Aus) 9-6, 3-9, 9-7, 9-7
Suzanne Horner (Eng) bt Rebecca Macree (Eng) 9-2, 9-3, 10-8
Leilani Joyce (NZ) bt Vanessa Atkinson (NL) 9-2, 5-9, 9-5, 9-5

3rd round:
[2] Carol Owens (AUS) bt Janie Thacker (ENG) 9-0 9-1 9-4
Vicky Botwright (ENG) bt [14] Claire Nitch (RSA) 9-3 9-6 9-1
[5] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt Senga Macfie (SCO) 9-6 1-9 9-3 9-6
[12] Sabine Schoene (GER) bt Annelize Naude (RSA) 10-8 9-4 9-7
[4] Linda Charman (ENG) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 9-1 9-4 9-6
[16] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 7-9 9-4 9-4 10-8
[7] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt Liz Irving (AUS) 9-3 9-0 9-3
[15] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) bt Elin Blikra (NOR) 9-4 9-0 9-2
[10] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-5 9-0 9-4
[8] Fiona Geaves (ENG) bt Madeline Perry (IRL) 9-1 10-8 9-0
[11] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Salma Shabana (EGY) 9-4 9-0 9-1
[3] Natalie Grainger (ENG) bt Ellen Petersen (DEN) 10-8 9-7 1-9 9-0
[13] Rebecca Macree (ENG) bt Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) 9-4 9-2 9-7
[6] Suzanne Horner (ENG) bt Maha Zein (EGY) 9-4 9-5 9-2
[9] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt Latasha Khan (USA) 9-1 9-2 9-3
[1] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) 9-2 9-5 9-1