CLASSY CAROL THE COMEBACK QUEEN
Alan Thatcher interviews the 2000 World Champion

Carol Owens (Aus) bt Leilani Joyce (NZ)  7-9, 3-9, 10-8, 9-6, 9-1  67min

For Leilani it was yesterday's nightmare come true. For Carol it was like being on the other side from yesterday's semi-final. Leilani stood at 2-0 and 7-0, had two match balls for the World Title at 8-4 and 8-7, but somehow Carol Owens found a way back and eventually won the fifth 9-1 to become the Millennium Year World Champion.

It was a tight first game, but Leilani was ahead through most of it and took it 9-7. A stroke and a no-let decision upset Carol at the end of the second, and at 7-0 down in the third it looked like her spirit had gone.

When she scored her first point in that game she raised her hands in the air and did a mock bow. No-one thought at the time that she'd be doing it for real half an hour later.

Leilani first served for the match at 8-4 and was obviously remembering her experience  last night - she ran like fury on her two match balls, but Owens saved them both, drew ever closer and took the third 10-8.

From then on Owens was always the one dominating the rallies. Leilani snatched at the ball and couldn't find the winners she needed, and Carol kept her on the run with relentless boasts and lobs. 

Eventually the pressure told, as Carol raced ahead in the fifth. Leilani is one of the fastest, fittest athletes in women's squash, but she was clearly looking tired as Carol moved her from corner to corner.

Carol looked confident, calm, composed and creative as she mixed lobs and drops with one stunning kill after another. She reduced her error ratio to almost zero and Leilani could not find a way back into the match.

As Carol won the final point she leapt against the front wall, then jumped in the air with joy. Carol Owens - World Champion !

CAROL OWENS:
HOW I WON THE WORLD OPEN
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW by Alan Thatcher

Q: Carol, well played.  Many congratulations on a brilliant comeback in the final. You had a tough semi-final against Sarah Fitz-Gerald. Were you feeling the effects of that early on against Leilani in the final? You certainly seemed to get stronger as the match went on.

A: Yes. I definitely didn't move too well in the first two games. It was quite a tough match with Sarah, both physically and mentally. However, I knew I was fit enough to play another five-setter if necessary. I definitely moved better as the match progressed.

Q: Please tell us about your preparations for the event, training and diet especially. Was this very different from anything you had done before?

A: Not too different, however the two weeks leading up to the event I didn't play any matches besides one on the Saturday. I was on court having the ball fed to me and did a lot of decision making. I was working at a high intensity and doing two sessions a day, which is normal for me. The four days prior to the event I cut my training back to skill sessions. My diet was no different to normal, however I did consume a lot of fruit and water to help my body's recovery after matches. I also had a physiotherapist with me, who gave me warm-up and warm-down massages which also aided my recovery.

Q: Coach Robbie Burnett was in your corner in Edinburgh. Please tell us a bit about him and how you got to know him.

A: I met Robbie a number of years back in Christchurch, New Zealand.  I have stayed with Robbie a couple of times when he was coaching in Essex and needed a base again this year. I phoned Robbie and he said I could train at his club in Ilkley, Yorkshire, prior to the British and World Open. Robbie took me on court every day for two weeks prior to the World Championships and then decided he would like to come and watch the tournament. I wasn't going to argue as every little bit of help is much appreciated.

Q: What was going through your mind towards the end of the third game in the final when Leilani seemed to have built up an unassailable lead?

A: I looked over at Leilani at match ball and could see how anxious she was to finish the match. She seemed to be hyperventilating. I decided I would put up a fight, as mentally I know how hard getting the last point of a match can be. I relaxed and could feel the tension she was under with me catching up in the game. When I got to 8-all I knew I could win the game.

Q: What was the key to you turning things around?

A: As I've just mentioned, I thought the match was won by Leilani and I relaxed and went for a couple of winners which went my way. Once things started to work, my confidence grew.

Q: You seemed to have no fears or worries about playing attacking shots from the back of the court against both Sarah and Leilani. You were able to wrongfoot Sarah quite often, but it seemed a big risk against a player as quick as Leilani. Was it a tactic that you planned, or were you just playing it off the cuff?

A: Obviously Leilani is a lot quicker at twisting and turning. It was not necessarily a tactic, it's more the style of my game. I play a lot of men and sometimes the only way to win points is by playing something they least expect.

Q: Both semi-finals and the final were matches of extremely high quality. All in all a brilliant advertisment for the women's game. Thanks to the WISPA contract with Fablon, there will be more high-profile events in the future as the tour develops. That must be great news for all the players. Will it help you to earn significantly more money?

A: Yes definitely, especially if making the final becomes a habit which I hope it does. All the players are extremely happy about the Eye Group's involvement and with regular tournaments the standard of Women's squash can only improve.

Q: How long do you plan to carry on playing to take advantage of all the above-mentioned developments?

A: As long as my body enables me. The travelling from the southern hemisphere is tedious but hopefully we'll manage some of those events on our side of the globe. Probably another 3 to 4 years.

Q: Does your approach to playing and training change as you got older and wiser?

A: Yes, definitely. When I was younger the volume of my training was greater.  However, now I make sure it is quality over quantity. I used to spend a lot longer on the court, whereas now I vary my training and wisely use my time away from the court.

Q: How do you think Leilani will respond to the result?

A: I think she will struggle this week in the team's event but will bounce back again next year. As all players know, you learn from defeat as well as victory.

Q: What's your next tournament?

A: I'm playing the Universal Sport' event at Lamb's Club in London in two
weeks' time.

Q: Have you finished celebrating yet? !!

A: Yes, I've come back down to earth but I'm still smiling and will be for quite some time. Funnily enough I'm itching to get back on court, which is strange.

Q: Have you spoken to Cassie Campion since the final?

A: Yes. I spoke to Cassie last night actually. We both spoke about the great feeling of being a World Champion. Last year when Cassie won I was really happy for her. Hopefully Cass will make a speedy recovery as it must have been hard for her not being able to defend her title.

Carol: Many thanks and congratulations once again.