Devoy, Opie set to clash

Press, 5 October 1987, Page 44

Devoy, Opie set to clash

By

TIM DUNBAR

in Auckland Susan Devoy and Lisa Opie, the finalists in the Honda women’s world squash championships, will be taking differing attitudes to today’s rest day. After her demanding 77 minute semi-final win over Vicki Cardwell, of Australia, at the Y.M.C.A. Stadium yesterdy, the English player says she definitely needs a rest day. She will join the world championship players* harbour cruise and might fit in a hit later in the day.,, By contrast, Devoy had two matches both lasting under half an hour at the week-end and does not feel she has been on the squash court long enough. Though she added: “I shouldn’t complain. Who wants five-setters.” The world champion,

under more pressure than usual in a big tournament because of a home crowd, will forgo the cruise and probably have a long practice. Devoy, again backed by a rousing group of singing supporters from Southland, took only 26 minutes to overcome Australia’s Liz Irving, 9-3, 9-4, 9-2 yesterday and spectators ended with time to fill — an hour of it — before the second semi-final. A much stronger challenge had been expected from Irving who had played some stirring squash to upset the fourth seed, Lucy Soutter, 3-1, In Saturday’s quarter-finals on the transparent court But there was little sign of the aggressive volleying and flow of winners carrying on when Irving met Devoy. The pace applied by Devoy and the tightness of her game al-

lowed the Australian few shotmaking opportunities. Devoy is playing extremely well and Irving, for one, said she was almost prepared to put her prize money on a win for the New Zealander. However, after Opie’s 10-8, 9-5, 8-10, 4-9, 9-2, win over Cardwell in a marvellous game of squash the result of tomorrow’s final is far from predetermined. Opie has had problems with her temperament and concentration in the past and she admitted to going “a bit walkabout” at stages in the third and fourth games, both of which she lost ; 1 But just when people, Cardwell included, expected the English woman to "crack,” she came out for the fifth game with new determination and never gave her opponent a chance. Opie covered

the court superbly and hit some breathtaking winners, including one crisp volley drop into the nick. In the course of the match Opie hit many winners from the back of the court, quite a few of them landing dead in the nick and rolling along the floor. Then there was one supreme floating lob which did not come off the back wall one centimetre. Both players did some miraculous retrieving, Cardwell often covering great stretches of the court to get the ball back, and with a tight shot On three occasions she lost her racket altogether. Cardwell, the 1983 World Open champion, said she was very sad not to be in the final but said Opie had played some

“stunning stuff’ and she was beaten by the better player on the day. There were expectations ; Of niggling and many let appeals in the match,; but it was played in ah excellent spirit much to the relief of the referee, Paul Devoy, “I congratulate Lisa on that,” said Cardwell, then added in typically frank style: “I congratulate myself on that actually.*? Results: ■ Quarter-finals: Susan Devoy (NX, seeded 1) beat Alison Cumings (England, 7), 9-4, 94, 9-1; Liz Irving (Australia, 6) beat-Lucy Soutter (England, 4), 9-3, 9-3, 6-9, 94; Vicki Cardwell (Australia, 3) beat Martine Le Motgnan (England, 5), 2-9, 10-9,1-9, 10-8, 9-3; Un Opie , (England, 2) beat Robyn Friday (Australia, 8), 9-3, 9-7, 9-3. Semi-finals: Devoy beat Irving, 9-3, 9-4, 9-2; Opie beat Cardwell, IM, 9-5, 8-10, 4-9, 9-1 ,