Squash: Healthy chance of a Kiwi making it into World Open final

By JULIE ASH

With two of the world's top three players living in New Zealand, chances are that at least one New Zealander will line up in the final of the women's World Open on Friday.

The Open starts in Melbourne tomorrow and features the world's top 32 players.

World No 3 and defending champion Carol Owens is on one side of the draw and No 2 Leilani Joyce is on the other.

The only obstacle standing in the way of an all-New Zealand final is likely to be Australian world No 1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who is scheduled to meet Owens in the semis.

Owens, 30, has the harder side of the draw, facing former world No 1 Cassie Campion in the quarter-finals and then possibly Fitz-Gerald.

"It is pretty tough. I was complaining after the Hong Kong Open that my draw was not hard enough, so now I have to prove I can do it," Owens said.

Fitz-Gerald will go into the tournament as the favourite. After missing most of the 1998-99 season with an injured knee, the 32-year-old Australian is back with vengeance.

She has at least 10 International Squash Players' Association titles to her name this year, and knocked Joyce from the No 1 position in this month's rankings, almost three years after she last held the spot.

In last week's Qatar Open, Fitz-Gerald beat Joyce 9-0, 9-2, 9-1 in the final.

"You are never happy coming off second best," said Joyce, who is aiming for her first World Open title. "She just applied the pressure in that game and I couldn't keep up with her. She was certainly the better player."

Joyce and Fitz-Gerald are both attacking players.

"It means your attacking shots don't have the same effect, which makes it very difficult," Joyce said. "But it is how you apply yourself on the day. Sometimes you can play well and still get beaten.

"The three of us [Joyce, Owens, Fitz-Gerald] on any given day are capable of beating each other. It is a bit of a seesaw which can swing any way."

Owens' last major tournament was the Hong Kong Open in August, where she was beaten by Joyce in the final.

"I haven't been in a lot of big events this year so it is difficult to gauge where I am at," Owens said.

Aucklanders Shelley Kitchen and Lara Petera will also compete in the Open. Petera had to go through the qualifying round. Kitchen faces England's Janie Thacker in round one tomorrow.

Melbourne-born Owens is now officially playing for New Zealand after a three-year stand-down period which finished last month. The Open will be the first time she has played in Australia wearing the silver fern.

"It will be interesting, but I am going to be selfish and just focus on myself and not let any of that bother me."