Sarah Fitz-Gerald

Sarah Elizabeth Fitz-Gerald AM (born 1 December 1968) is an Australian women's squash player who won five World Open titles – 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002. She ranks alongside Janet Morgan, Nicol David, Susan Devoy, Michelle Martin and Heather McKay as the sport's greatest players.

Sarah Fitz-Gerald
Country Australia
Born
Sarah Elizabeth Fitz-Gerald

(1968-12-01) 1 December 1968
Melbourne, Australia
Turned Pro1988
Retired2003
Coached byRoger Flynn &
Mike Johnson
Racquet usedDunlop
Women's singles
Highest ranking1 (November 1996)
Medal record
Women's squash
Representing  Australia
World Championships
1996 Petaling Jaya Singles
1997 Sydney Singles
1998 Stuttgart Singles
2001 Melbourne Singles
2002 Doha Singles
1995 Hong Kong Singles
1989 Warmond Singles
2000 Edinburgh Singles
World Team Championships
1987 Auckland Team
1992 Vancouver Team
1994 Guernsey Team
1996 Petaling Jaya Team
1998 Stuttgart Team
2000 Sheffield Team
2002 Odense Team
2004 Amsterdam Team
2010 Palmerston Team
World Games
1997 Lahti Singles
Commonwealth Games
2002 Manchester Singles
1998 Kuala Lumpur Singles
1998 Kuala Lumpur Doubles
Last updated on: 17 May 2009.

Career

Fitz-Gerald was born in Melbourne, Australia, a hotspot for squash talent. In 1987 she won the female World Junior Championship and was the Australian Junior Female Athlete of the Year. It was also during this year that she represented Australia at the 1987 Women's World Team Squash Championships finishing runner-up to England.[1] In 1992 she was selected once again to represent Australia in the 1992 Women's World Team Squash Championships and this time Australia became the world champions. Remarkably Fitzgerald would go on to win a total of seven World Team Championships.

She won numerous titles in the early 1990s, but 1996 proved to be her breakthrough year. She beat England's Cassie Jackman in the World Open Final. The next two years she beat the resurgent Michelle Martin in successive finals.

The next two years did not bring the same level of success, owing largely to knee surgery. In 2000, she lost an epic semi-final against Carol Owens. However, she came back in 2001 to beat New Zealand's Leilani Joyce emphatically 9–0, 9–3, 9–2.

2002 saw her win her last World Open, beating Natalie Pohrer 10–8, 9–3, 7–9, 9–7. She also won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

In January 2004, Fitz-Gerald was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her achievements and services to women's squash, and the promotion of sport and a healthy lifestyle. She was Chairwoman and President of the Women's International Squash Players Association from 1991 to 2002. In 2010, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[2]

In 2018, she won her fourth World Masters title.

Career statistics

Professional Tour Titles (60)

All Results for Sarah Fitzgerald in WISPA World's Tour tournament[3][4][5]

Legend
WISPA Platinum Series (2)
WISPA Gold Series (9)
WISPA Silver Series (14)
WISPA Tour Series (35)
Titles by Major Tournaments
World Open (5)
British Open (2)
Hong Kong Open (0)
Qatar Classic (1)
No. Date Tournament Opponent in Final Score in Final
1. 13 June 1989 Adelaide Open Sharon Bradey Unknown
2. 24 November 1991 Danish Open Lisa Opie (3–0)
3. 28 June 1992 Japan Open Lisa Opie (3–0)
4. 26 July 1992 ACT Open Robyn Lambourne (3–0)
5. 25 July 1993 ACT Open Carol Owens 15–8, 9–15, 15–13, 15–7
6. 10 July 1994 Adelaide Open Vicki Cardwell 15–13, 15–9, 15–8
7. 18 June 1995 South Australia Open Vicki Cardwell (3–0)
8. 22 July 1995 Victorian Open Meeghan Bell (3–0)
9. 22 July 1995 Queensland Open Liz Irving (3–0)
10. 10 September 1995 JSM Supersquash Michelle Martin 9–6, 8–10, 2–9, 9–6, 9–4
11. 16 September 1995 Jain International Michelle Martin (3–0)
12. 17 March 1996 Abshot Open Suzanne Horner (3–0)
13. 28 July 1996 Victorian Open Carol Owens (3–0)
14. 17 August 1996 Singapore Open Michelle Martin Walkover
15. 13 October 1996 World Open Cassie Jackman 9–4, 9–2, 4–9, 9–6
16. 10 November 1996 German Masters Michelle Martin 9–6, 3–9, 9–4, 9–3
17. 23 November 1996 Monte Carlo Classic Cassie Jackman 9–4, 9–2, 4–9, 9–6
18. 11 May 1997 Las Vegas Open Liz Irving 9–3, 9–1, 9–4
19. 17 June 1997 Al-Ahram International Michelle Martin 9–3, 9–3, 9–0
20. 22 June 1997 Munich Open Michelle Martin 9–7, 9–7, 9–2
21. 17 August 1997 World Games Sabine Schoene 9–2, 9–6, 9–7
22. 24 August 1997 Singapore Open Michelle Martin 9–1, 5–9, 9–1, 9–7
23. 30 August 1997 Malaysian Open Michelle Martin 9–2, 0–9, 9–2, 8–10, 9–7
24. 19 October 1997 World Open (2) Michelle Martin 9–5, 5–9, 6–9, 9–2, 9–3
25. 26 October 1997 Australian Open Michelle Martin 5–9, 9–4, 9–4, 9–0
26. 3 November 1997 Carol Weymuller Open Michelle Martin 9–3, 7–9, 9–0, 3–9, 10–8
27. 17 November 1997 Hartford Open Cassie Jackman 9–4, 9–7, 9–3
28. 29 November 1997 Monte Carlo Classic Sue Wright 9–1, 4–9, 9–1, 9–4
29. 20 April 1998 Munich Open Michelle Martin 9–2, 9–0, 10–8
30. 10 May 1998 Las Vegas Open Stephanie Brind 9–0, 9–3, 9–3
31. 9 August 1998 Victorian Open Carol Owens (3–1)
32. 8 November 1998 World Open (3) Michelle Martin 10–8, 9–7, 2–9, 3–9, 10–9
33. 16 January 2000 Glidden Open Suzanne Horner 9–1, 9–0, 9–7
34. 23 January 2000 Greenwich Open Suzanne Horner 9–6, 9–0, 4–9, 9–7
35. 5 February 2000 Rosebowl Classic Sue Wright 9–3, 5–9, 9–4, 10–8
36. 16 April 2000 Munich Open Carol Owens 9–7, 9–5, 9–0
37. 30 April 2000 Mexican Open Rachael Grinham 9–7, 9–6, 9–2
38. 24 September 2000 Singapore Open Claire Nitch 9–1, 9–1, 9–4
39. 8 December 2000 USC Classic Carol Owens 3–9, 9–3, 9–6, 9–1
40. 28 January 2001 Greenwich Open Linda Charman-Smith 9–5, 9–2, 9–4
41. 11 March 2001 Munich Open Leilani Joyce 9–1, 9–2, 9–6
42. 19 April 2001 World Grand Prix Finals Leilani Joyce 9–6, 9–5, 9–1
43. 12 May 2001 San Francisco Challenge Cassie Campion 7–9, 9–4, 9–5, 9–2
44. 20 May 2001 Seattle Open Carol Owens 9–6, 9–7, 9–2
45. 10 June 2001 British Open Carol Owens 10–9, 9–0, 9–2
46. 4 September 2001 Heliopolis Open Cassie Campion 9–3, 9–1, 9–1
47. 8 October 2001 Qatar Classic Leilani Joyce 9–0, 9–2, 9–1
48. 19 October 2001 World Open (4) Leilani Joyce 9–0, 9–3, 9–2
49. 20 January 2002 Hartford Open Carol Owens 2–9, 9–4, 9–7, 9–1
50. 1 February 2002 Tournament of Champions Carol Owens 9–4, 9–0, 9–3
51. 15 April 2002 British Open (2) Tania Bailey 9–3, 9–0, 9–0
52. 28 April 2002 World Grand Prix Finals Carol Owens 6–9, 5–9, 9–5, 9–7, 9–4
53. 12 May 2002 San Francisco Challenge Tania Bailey 9–1, 7–9, 9–1, 9–2
54. 19 May 2002 Las Vegas Open Vanessa Atkinson 9–4, 9–2, 9–0
55. 26 May 2002 Seattle Open Carol Owens 9–7, 9–7, 9–1
56. 30 June 2002 Australian Open Laura Keating 9–0, 9–2, 9–0
57. 14 September 2002 French Open Linda Elriani 10–8, 5–9, 9–4, 10–8
58. 2 November 2002 World Open (5) Natalie Grainger 10–8, 9–3, 7–9, 9–7
59. 22 August 2004 Victorian Open Louise Crome 9–1, 9–4, 9–5
60. 13 May 2007 Top End Open Peta Hughes 9–1, 9–3, 9–0

See also

References
  1. "Draw and Results" (PDF). Squash New Zealand. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2016.
  2. "Sarah Fitz-Gerald". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. SquashInfo: Sarah Fitz-Gerald
  4. Women's International Squash Players Association Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "WISPA titles earned by Sarah Fitzgerald". Squashtalk.com. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Michelle Martin
Leilani Rorani
Natalie Grainger		 World No. 1
November 1996 – October 1998
October 2001 – October 2002
December 2002 – February 2003		 Succeeded by
Michelle Martin
Carol Owens
Carol Owens
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