Fitz-Gerald Plays On To Win 62nd WISPA Title
Women's semi-finals:
[5] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt [1] Amelia Pittock (AUS) 9-2, 9-2, 9-3
[2] Peta Hughes (AUS) bt [3] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 9-4
Final:
[5] Sarah Fitz-Gerald (AUS) bt [2] Peta Hughes (AUS) 9-1, 9-3, 9-0
Men's semi-finals:
[1] Luke Margan (AUS) bt [4] Nathan Turnbull (AUS) 11-8, 11-5, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4
[2] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [3] Graeme Wilson (NZL) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7
Final:
[2] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [1] Luke Margan (AUS) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
More than four years after retiring from the professional squash circuit, Australia's Sarah Fitz-Gerald made a brief comeback on home soil to net her 62nd WISPA World Tour title today (Sunday) in the Topend Open Series at Darwin Squash Centre in Darwin.
The 38-year-old from Melbourne was ruthless in her 9-1, 9-3, 9-0 defeat of No2 seed Peta Hughes, the reigning Australian junior champion from Queensland. Fitz-Gerald despatched top seed Amelia Pittock in straight games in the semi-finals.
The title success extends the former world number one's unbeaten run on the WISPA World Tour to 83 matches since August 2001.
Fitz-Gerald retired from the professional tour in 2003 but still plays squash to keep fit.
"I’m still playing at a high level, so it’s not like I dropped off the face of the earth when I retired from the tour,” said the record five-times World Open Champion.
"Hopefully Peta will use today’s final as a learning experience. I’m hoping to have chat with her to give her my perspective on how she played. I want these girls to learn as much as they can."
Reigning Australian men’s junior champion Ryan Cuskelly had better fortune then Hughes in the men's final as he eased to a straight games win over Luke Margan.
The 19-year-old from northern New South Wales showed why he is considered a top prospect by outlasting the 23-year-old Margan, who has recently returned to the court after a foot injury.