SquashTalk>Women's World Open >Womens Quarterfinals

[last update was 15-nov-00 ]

Fitz-Gerald rolls over Linda Charman

11.14.00 by Howard Harding for WSF

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

FITZ-GERALD CHARGES INTO WORLD OPEN SEMI-FINALS
Australia's Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the three-times former world champion who underwent knee surgery last year which prevented her from defending her title in 1999, charged through to the semi-finals of the Eye Group Women's World Open Squash Championship today (Wednesday) in Edinburgh, Scotland, after upsetting England's world No3 Linda Charman 9-3 9-0 9-1 in just 26 minutes on the all-glass court at Meadowbank Stadium.

The 31-year-old from Melbourne, seeded 7, lost the opening two points, but then never looked back as she crushed her English opponent, the fourth seed, to claim her nineteenth successive World Open match win since 1995.

ALL-MELBOURNE SHOWDOWN
Fitz-Gerald now meets fellow Melburnian Carol Owens, the second seed and World Grand Prix champion who needed three more minutes to remove England's 21-year-old 5th seed Tania Bailey 9-5 9-0 9-1.

The semi-final will be a repeat of the Australians' quarter-final meeting in last month's British Open, in which world No2 Owens dismissed Fitz-Gerald in straight games.

GRAINGER EXCELLS
In a miserable day for the England squad which is seeded to win next week's world team title in Sheffield, Kent's world No13 Stephanie Brind joined team-mates Bailey and Charman as beaten World Open quarter-finalists after a tough battle with third-seeded compatriot Natalie Grainger.

Manchester-born Grainger, who was brought up in South Africa and recently changed allegiance to England but cannot represent her new country until later next year, conquered 10th seed Brind 9-2 9-5 9-3 in 27 minutes to reach her second successive World Open semi-final.

The 23-year-old from Nottingham's opponent will be top seed Leilani Joyce, the 26-year-old world No1 from New Zealand who successfully defended her British Open title last month but has never before progressed beyond the semi-finals of the World Open. Joyce, from Hamilton, took just 26 minutes to quash England's 37-year-old Suzanne Horner 9-2 9-6 9-0 in her tenth successive World Open quarter-final.

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

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

Quarter-finals:
[2] Carol Owens (AUS) bt [5] Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-5 9-0 9-1
[7] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt [4] Linda Charman (ENG) 9-3 9-0 9-1
[3] Natalie Grainger (ENG) bt [10] Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-2 9-5 9-3
[1] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [6] Suzanne Horner (ENG) 9-2 9-6 9-0

Last sixteen (2nd main round):
[2] Carol Owens (AUS) bt Vicky Botwright (ENG) 9-3 9-0 9-2 [5]
Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [12] Sabine Schoene (GER) 9-2 10-9 9-7 [4]
Linda Charman (ENG) bt [16] Pamela Nimmo (SCO) 9-5 9-2 9-2 [7]
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt [15] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) 9-0 9-1 9-2
[10] Stephanie Brind (ENG) bt [8] Fiona Geaves (ENG) 9-0 3-9 8-10 9-2 9-2
[3] Natalie Grainger (ENG) bt [11] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-6 3-9 9-7 9-7
[6] Suzanne Horner (ENG) bt [13] Rebecca Macree (ENG) 9-2 9-3 10-8
[1] Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt [9] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) 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