By Grant Smith
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 the final of the Women’s World Team Championships in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The second seeds’ 2/1 win over favorites 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 in the championship tie with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 demolition of Sarah Kippax in the opening match at the International Pacific College, the Glass court venue.
However, England’s World No. 2, Jenny Duncalf, hauled the top seeds back into the tie with an 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 win over Australian No. 1, Rachael Grinham, to send the final into a decider between Laura Massaro, the World No. 9, and Kasey Brown, the Australian No. 2, ranked two places higher on the WISPA tour.
Brown raced to a 2/0 lead, but Massaro had already proven she could fight back after pegging New Zealander Joelle King the day before. 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 Fitz-Gerald and Grinham 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 so close to beating England in the semifinals, the fourth seeds had to settle for fourth, following a 2/1 bronze medal loss to Malaysia.
Shelley Kitchen, working her way back to form since her layoff from WISPA after the birth of her first child, finished the event unbeaten for the New Zealanders, including an 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 win over Malaysian Sharon Wee. But Jaclyn Hawkes was predictably beaten in straight games by World No. 1 Nicol David.
Low Wee Wern and Joelle King were left to decide the bronze medal. Just three days earlier 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 gave Malaysia their third successive third-place finish.
Earlier, third-seeded Egypt—he 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.
