Final:
[2] AUSTRALIA bt [1] ENGLAND 2/1
Sarah Fitz-Gerald bt Sarah Kippax 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (30m)
Rachael Grinham lost to Jenny Duncalf 5-11, 6-11, 5-11 (35m)
Kasey Brown bt Laura Massaro 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 (77m)

After last winning the title in 2004 - and finishing in 10th place two years later - Australia re-established their authority in women's world squash by beating England in today's final of the Women's World Team Championship in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

The second seeds' 2/1 win over favourites England extends Australia's record to nine titles in the 17 World Squash Federation championships since 1979.

Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the five times world champion who came out of retirement to play this event, gave the Aussies a perfect start with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 demolition of Sarah Kippax in the opening match at the International Pacific College.

However, England's world number two Jenny Duncalf hauled the top seeds back into the tie with an 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 win over Australian number one Rachael Grinham to send the final into a decider between Laura Massaro, the world No9, and Kasey Brown, the Australian number two ranked two places higher.

Brown raced to a 2/0 lead, but Massaro has already proven she can fight back after pegging New Zealander Joelle King back yesterday. Once again, the 27-year-old from Preston showed her grit, taking the third. However, Brown would not be denied, reclaiming the ascendancy in the fourth to close out an 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 victory.

Brown, who played in 2006 when the team finished 10th and again in 2008 when they finished 6th, is thrilled to have taken her side over the line.

"This is the first time I've been part of the winning team - we've had such a big history in squash, it feels amazing to be part of it."

Brown says the return of Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Rachael Grinham have played a huge part in the success. She says team manager Michelle Martin also deserves a lot of the credit.



Meanwhile, it was a disappointing final day for hosts New Zealand.

After going close to beating England in the semi-finals, the fourth seeds had to settle for fourth, following a 2/1 loss to Malaysia.

Shelley Kitchen finished the event unbeaten after an 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 win over Malaysian Sharon Wee, but Jaclyn Hawkes was predictably beaten in straight games by world number one Nicol David.

Low Wee Wern and Joelle King were left to decide the bronze medal. Just three days ago they squared off in pool play with King winning in four, but this time the Malaysian turned the tables with an 11-13, 11-2, 11-8, 11-1 victory.

The win gives Malaysia their third successive third-place finish.

Earlier, third-seeded Egypt - the defending champions - ended the Championships on a high, with a straightforward two-nil win over France in the playoff for fifth place.

Despite the defeat, sixth place still gives France their best ever finish in 13 appearances since 1987.

3rd place play-off:
[4] MALAYSIA bt [5] NEW ZEALAND 2/1
Sharon Wee lost to Shelley Kitchen 5-11, 9-11, 6-11 (28m)
Nicol David bt Jaclyn Hawkes 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (35m)
Low Wee Wern bt Joelle King 11-13, 11-2, 11-8, 11-1 (54m)

Jenny Duncalf radio interview

England are seeded to reclaim the Women's World Team Squash Championship title in New Zealand next month, according to the seedings.

The biennial event, featuring 16 nations, will be staged for the 17th time since 1979 at SquashGym in the North Island city of Palmerston North, from 29 November to 4 December.

Six-time champions England finished as runners-up in 2008 in Cairo, where Egypt celebrated a popular maiden triumph on home soil.

Led by Jenny Duncalf, the world No2 making her fourth successive appearance in the championship, England will open their 2010 campaign against 8th seeds Netherlands, 9th seeds USA and 16th seeds Austria in Pool A.

Australia, champions on eight occasions since 1981, are seeded to reach the final for the first time since winning the title in 2004. The team, which finished in sixth place in 2008 and in an all-time low 10th position in 2006, will be boosted by the return of former world number ones Rachael Grinham and Sarah Fitz-Gerald.

Grinham, currently ranked 5 in the world, last played for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, but made herself unavailable since then due to a falling out with officials.

Fitz-Gerald, who has won five individual world titles and five team titles, retired from the WISPA World Tour in 2003, but has remained incredibly fit and still plays in the A Grade men's competition in Melbourne. The 41-year-old led her country to success in the 2002 championships, while Grinham, 33, was the team number one in their 2004 title victory.

Hosts New Zealand are named as fifth seeds - but will be hoping that local support will help them reach the final, as in 1985 and 1992. The Kiwi squad will be led by Commonwealth Games stars Jaclyn Hawkes and Joelle King - who together won the Gold medal in the Women's Doubles. King went on to win silver in the Mixed Doubles to become her country's most successful athlete in Delhi.

But also making a popular comeback for New Zealand will be Shelley Kitchen, the former world No6 who will be competing on the international stage for the first time since the birth of her first child, daughter Amalia, in February.

New Zealand will line up initially in Pool D against Malaysia, the fourth seeds who are led by world number one Nicol David.

Defending champions Egypt - featuring the same three players, Omneya Abdel Kawy, Raneem El Weleily and Engy Kheirallah, who led the hosts to a narrow victory over England two years ago - are the event's third seeds.

Pools line-up:

Pool A: [1] ENGLAND, [8] NETHERLANDS, [9] USA, [16] AUSTRIA
Pool B: [2] AUSTRALIA, [7] IRELAND, [10] INDIA, [15] JAPAN
Pool C: [3] EGYPT, [6] FRANCE, [11] SOUTH AFRICA, [14] MEXICO
Pool D: [4] MALAYSIA, [5] NEW ZEALAND, [12] CANADA, [13] HONG KONG

Aug 2010 Newsletter

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