Squash: Hometime therapy for Joyce before champs

By JULIE ASH

Catching up with her parents in Sydney was how world No 1 Leilani Joyce celebrated after her emphatic win in the Hong Kong open.

She returns to Auckland today before heading to Palmerston North for the national championships on Friday.

"It'll be home to do some washing and organise some housework before driving to Palmerston North," she said.

Joyce is seeded to meet the world No 2, Carol Owens, in the final on Sunday. Owens, from Melbourne, has just become eligible to compete for New Zealand.

"It is wonderful for the New Zealand team, it makes us a scary force for the world teams championships and the Commonwealth Games," Joyce said.

"It gives us outstanding potential to win the world teams event, which we have never won."

Joyce, 27, beat Owens in the final of the Hong Kong Open 9-7, 9-6, 9-0. She also claimed a win over Australian hotshot Sarah Fitz-Gerald in the semifinals.

Ranked world No 3, Fitz-Gerald had beaten Joyce three times this year.

"She is tough and I can imagine we will have many more tough encounters this year, but every game is a new opportunity to make a difference," Joyce said.

"This time I managed to finish off. The anguish of not beating her this year really motivated me and I am pleased to have come away and done well at this event."

The win means Joyce will retain her place as the world No 1 when the new rankings come out on Saturday.

After the weekend's national championships, her next challenge will be the Qatar Open in the Middle East before the world open in Melbourne in October, where Joyce is aiming to break her personal duck.

This year Joyce has lost to Fitz-Gerald in the final of the Munich Open and the semifinals of the Grand Prix finals in Egypt and British Open.

She beat Owens in the semifinals of the Egypt event, but lost to her in the Eden Epsom Open and the Remuera Open.

"Sarah and I get on like a house on fire. We are as close as we possibly can be off court." she said."We always seem to meet in the semifinals so it would be nice to meet in a final."