Jackman
Reports From World Open in
Kuala
Lumpur
Former World Champion
and world no.2 Cassie Jackman has joined the Squash Player to report
on the Women’s World Open in Kuala Lumpur. Jackman, who withdrew from
the Qatar Classic following a health scare says she is in top form and
that four players can win the event.
Good Day for the English
It was a good day
for the English in the first round in Kuala Lumpur and I was pleased
to get underway and to see how I was playing after having to stop in
Qatar. I had a good run around with the English girl Dominique
Lloyd-Walter winning 9-1, 9-1, 9-5. The match felt about 35 minutes
long. We had good rallies but Dom just didn’t get the points when she
was serving.
We played on court 8 an ASB court, with the moveable side wall.
Tomorrow I move onto the glass. (The other top three seeds played on
the glass court today and go onto the outside courts tomorrow. I’d
rather do it the way round I am doing it.)
The English girls played well today. Tania Bailey, my roommate, who is
unseeded put out England team player Fiona Geaves in three. I watched
Linda Elrani go through, Jenny Duncalf won comfortably while
Laura-Jane Lengthorn and Alison Waters both upset the seedings to go
through. Laura put out Isabelle Stoehr, the 14th seed and
Alison the 9th seed Omneya Abdel Kawy. Vicky Botwright beat
Tamsyn Leevey, the New Zealand girl.
Tomorrow there are tough matches to come in the last 16. I face
Shelley Kitchen the New Zealander.
Wide Open World Open
There is a world title up for grabs in Kuala Lumpur with the top four
players in the game all in with a chance. It is wide open and whoever
plays their best on the day will have the title. Vanessa Atkinson, who
played really well in the final in Qatar, is the inform player. She is
in the top half seeded to meet Rachael Grinham, the no.1 seed, but
everyone has tough matches before that stage. You will have to go
straight into playing your best here.
The winner however should come from one of the top four girls –Rachael
Grinham, Vanessa Atkinson, Natalie Grinham or myself. Natalie is not
to be underestimated as she has beaten all the top three players.
I feel good going into this event. In Shanghai, where I won, I coped
with the conditions better than anyone. It was very cold, the ball was
dead, and I was able to play to the conditions. In Qatar I had a close
game with Vanessa in the semi-final before I retired with breathing
difficulties. It was quite worrying. I didn’t know what it was and
there was a suggestion that it may be a blood clot. I stayed in
hospital overnight there, had a lot of tests and it proved not to be a
clot. I had had a pain in my back and it may have been related to a
back problem that put pressure on my rib cage. I haven’t experienced
anything like that before and it wasn’t a very nice feeling. It has
calmed down now and I have had regular treatment from our Physio
Pauline.
I have had a good practice here in Kuala Lumpur with Tania Bailey and
I felt fine.
Kuala Lumpur is nice and warm. We are back at the Commonwealth Games
Stadium, were we played a few years ago. It is now the National Squash
Centre. Everything is well organised and we are looking forward to
starting the tournament. Before the main event starts we have a
welcome dinner with the WSF Emeritus President Susie Simcock, the IOC
Sports Consultant to the Olympic Programme Commission and the WSF
vice-resident A Sani Karim.
In
the first round I have the English qualifier Dominique Lloyd-Walter
and if I go through I am seeded to meet the New Zealander Shelley
Kitchen in the second round. |
Cassie Jackman Joins The
Squash Player Team
Cassie Jackman joins
the Squash Player commentary team to report for squash fans on the
Women's
World Open. In an exclusive column she will report on her preparation,
her matches, the play and the players.
To Women's World
Open Page
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