|
|
|
| October 18, 2001 | Thursday | Rajab 30, 1422 |
Owens, Fitz-Gerald through to last four
MELBOURNE, Oct 17: Defending champion Carol Owens and Australia’s Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the world No.1, Wednesday cruised to straight games victories in the women’s World Squash Open here.
They are now set for an intriguing semifinal match-up Thursday.
New Zealander Owens beat 1999 winner Cassie Campion 9-5, 9-4, 9-4, while Fitz-Gerald was even more impressive in crushing another English player, Suzanne Horner, 9-0, 9-4, 9-2 in the last of the quarterfinals.
It now promises to be a needle match between the two Melbourne-born players.
Owens, who has lived in Auckland for two years, switched her allegiance to New Zealand just last month, claiming that she never got the recognition she deserved in Australia, being overshadowed by Fitz-Gerald.
Against Campion, who underwent a back operation last November and spent six months out of the sport, Owens’ only real moment of concern came when she was hit on the nose by the English woman’s racket and was forced to take a five-minute injury break.
“It’s throbbing and I hope I don’t have two black eyes tomorrow,” she said.
Fitz-Gerald needed just 25 minutes to oust 38-year-old Horner, who won the World Masters 35-39 age-group title in the same arena last Saturday, and stay on course for a fourth World Open.
After three years struggling with knee injuries — she underwent two operations — the 32-year-old came back to win a first British Open in June and she reclaimed the world No.1 ranking just this month.
In the other semifinal, New Zealand’s Leilani Joyce meets England’s Linda Charman-Smith.
Wednesday’s results (x denotes seeding):
Quarterfinals: Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Aus x3) bt Suzanne Horner (Eng x7) 9-0, 9-4, 9-2; Carol Owens (Nzl x2) bt Cassie Campion (Eng x11) 9-5, 9-4, 9-4.—AFP
|
|
|
|
