FITZ

Seattle, 20~24 Oct

Just Champion for Cassie

Cassie Campion came up with the greatest win of her career, to take the World Open title with a 44 minute, 9/6 9/7 9/7 victory over hot favourite Michelle Martin. Full story from WorldSport

Campion catches up with Joyce to make final ...

Normal service was resumed in the semis as Michelle Martin shrugged off a tough quarter-final to dispose of England's Natalie Grainger 3-0 and claim her place in the World Open final. This will be Martin's 31st consecutive final appearance on the WISPA tour. Her opponent will be Cassie Campion, who has been improving as the tournament progresses and scored a comfortable 3-0 win over Leilani Joyce, overturning recent history between the two. She will face a hard task in the final though, as Martin bids to take the world title she failed to take last year despite having 8 match balls against the currently injured reigning champion Sarah Fitz-Gerlad.

Semi-Finals
Cassie Campion bt Leilani Joyce 9-6, 9-6, 9-3, 38 mins
Michelle Martin bt Natalie Grainger 9-7, 9-0, 9-6, 31 mins

Martin struggles into Semis

Tania Bailey's giant-killing run in the World Open finally came to an end, when she went down 3-0 to second seed Leilani Joyce in the quarter-finals. Cassie Campion needed just 24 minutes to book her semi-final place, and Natalie Grainger had a similarly comfortable quarter-final, dropping just 3 points. Hot favourite Michelle Martin was stretched to the limit by compatriot Carol Owens though, needing 78 minutes to come back from 0-1 and 2-1 down to clinch her semi-final spot.

Quarter-Finals
Leilani Joyce (NZL) bt Tania Bailey (ENG) 9-2 9-4 9-4 36 mins
Cassie Campion (ENG) bt Suzanne horner (ENG) 9-4, 9-0, 9-1 24 mins
Michelle Martin (AUS) bt Carol Owens (AUS) 6-9, 10-9, 5-9, 9-3, 9-3 60 mins
Natalie Grainger (ENG) bt Linda Charman (ENG) 9-1, 9-1, 9-1 26 mins

Bailey giant-kills again

England's Tania Bailey pulled off her second upset in the Women's World Squash Championships Thursday with a 10-9, 9-1, 10-9 win over 7th seeded Sabine Schoene of Germany. Bailey is seeded 21st. Her first round victim was Claire Nitch of South Africa. She advances to play second seed Leilani Joyce of New Zealand. All eight of the matches were decided in straight sets.

Second-round
Martin d. Stephanie Bring, England, 9-6, 9-5, 9-2
Owens d. Liz Irving, Australia, 9-2, 9-1, 9-1
Grainger D. Rebecca Macree, England, 9-5, 9-1, 9-3
Charman d. Rachel Grinham, Australia, 9-5, 9-6, 9-2
Horner d. Fiona Geaves, England, 10-9, 9-6, 9-6
Campion d. Vanessa Atkinson, Netherlands, 9-2, 9-1, 9-6
Bailey d. Sabine Schoene, Germany, 10-9, 9-1, 10-9
Joyce d. Jenny Tranfield, England, 9-3, 9-1, 9-5

March of the seeds (bar one!)

The first round of the World Women's Open Squash Championships was an inexorable march of the seeds. The only one to be defeated by a lower ranked player was 13th seeded Claire Nitch of South Africa who fell to 21st ranked Tania Bailey of England. Otherwise the four top seeds gave up only a total of 24 points and not a single game among them. Top seed Michelle Martin won 9-0, 9-0, 9-1; second Leilani Joyce 9-0, 9-5, 9-0, third Natalie Grainger 10-9, 9-5, 9-3; and fourth Cassie Campion, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.

1st Round
Michelle Martin, Australia, d. Melanie Jans, Canada, 9-0, 9-0, 9-1
Stephanie Brind, England, d. Pamela Nimmo, Scotland, 9-4, 5-9, 9-1, 9-4
Carol Owens, Australia, d. Maha Zein, Egypt, 9-0, 9-4, 9-0
Liz Irving, Australia, d. Shabanas Khan, USA, 9-2, 9-2, 9-6
Natalie Grainger, England, d. Kym Keevil, Australia, 10-9, 9-5, 9-3
Rebecca Macree, England, d. Janie Thacker, England, 9-6, 6-9, 8-10, 9-1, 9-6
Linda Charman, England, d. Tegwen Malik, Wales, 9-5, 10-8, 9-4
Rachel Grinham, Australia, d. Marnie Bailey, Canada, 7-9, 9-6, 9-3, 8-10, 9-2
Fiona Geaves, England, d. Salma Shabana, Egypt, 9-1, 9-3, 9-2
Suzanne Horner, England, d. Vickie Botwright, England, 9-7, 9-3, 7-9, 9-3
Vanessa Atkinson, Netherlands, d. Shelley Kitchen, New Zealand, 9-2, 9-0,9-5
Cassie Campion, England d. Kate Major, Australia, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Sabine Schoene, Germany, d. Latasha Khan, USA, 9-1, 5-9, 9-3, 4-9, 9-4
Tania Bailey, England, d. Claire Nitch, South Africa, 9-10, 9-7, 9-6, 9-1
Jenny Tranfield, England, d. Melissa Vacca, Australia, 9-0, 9-0, 9-3

FITZ-GERALD'S WITHDRAWAL GIVES MARTIN WORLD TITLE BOOST 18-Oct

The withdrawal of Australia's defending champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald from the Women's World Open Squash Championships in Seattle, USA, from 20-24 October, has given world No1 compatriot Michelle Martin the best chance of reclaiming the title she last won in 1995.
Fitz-Gerald, who beat Martin in the World Open final in Germany last November to secure the title for the third successive year, has been out of action since undergoing surgery on her left knee in May. The world No2, who is now planning a return to the WISPA World Tour in the new year, said: "I am very disappointed not to be defending my title in Seattle, but will be following the event closely while training at home in Melbourne."

Sydney-based Martin, who has won the title three times in six World Open final appearances since 1992, is enjoying a sensational period in her career. Unbeaten since the 1998 final, the 32-year-old recently claimed the 50th WISPA World Tour title of her career, and in New York on Friday won her seventh title of the year in her 30th successive tour final.

New Zealand's world No3 Leilani Joyce is seeded to meet Martin in the final at Seattle's Downtown Athletic Club on Sunday (24 October). The 25-year-old from Hamilton has already faced the Australian in three finals this year, but has never before progressed beyond the last eight of the World Open.

England's bid for success in Seattle will be led by world No4 and former South African Natalie Grainger, who last year reached the quarter-finals for the first time. Compatriot Cassie Campion, the world No5 from Norfolk who has twice reached the final, is making a return to the event after missing the 1998 championship due to an ankle injury.

Local interest will be led by the Seattle-based sisters Latasha and Shabana Khan, ranked 19 and 27, respectively, in the world. Placed in opposite halves of the World Open draw, the pair met in last week's Carol Weymuller Open in New York - where 31-year-old Shabana upset the form book by beating the higher-ranked Latasha, 26, in the first round.

First round draw:
[1] Michelle Martin (AUS) v Melanie Jans (CAN)
[11] Stephanie Brind (ENG) v Pamela Nimmo (SCO)
[9] Carol Owens (AUS) v Maha Zein (EGY)
[14] Liz Irving (AUS) v Shabana Khan (USA)
[3] Natalie Grainger (ENG) v Qualifier
[12] Rebecca Macree(ENG) v Janie Thacker(ENG)
[6] Linda Charman (ENG) v Tegwen Malik (WAL)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Qualifier
[10] Fiona Geaves (ENG) v Qualifier
[5] Suzanne Horner (ENG) v Qualifier
[16] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v Qualifier
[4] Cassie Campion (ENG) v Qualifier
[13] Claire Nitch (RSA) v Tania Bailey (ENG)
[8] Sabine Schoene (GER) v Latasha Khan (USA)
[15] Jenny Tranfield (ENG) v Qualifier
[2] Leilani Joyce (NZL) v Qualifier