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Cassie's New Arrival
"Just thought I'd let you know that we had a baby
girl on 21st November. Her name is Erin and she weighed 6lb 13oz.
She was 8 days early and we're all doing great."
Cassie Jackman |
Congratulations,
Cassie, from all at SquashSite ...
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20-Dec-04:
Cassie Jackman Bows
Out At The Top
Cassie Jackman, one of England's
most successful woman squash players of all time, has been forced to
retire from the game after sustaining a back injury for the third
time in her career.
 Jackman,
who has been playing squash since she was nine and celebrates her
32nd birthday on Wednesday (22 December), has enjoyed a
distinguished career in the sport - winning
28 WISPA World Tour titles since
1991 including the World Open crown in 1999. She became world No1
for the first time in January 2000, topping the list until
undergoing the first of two back operations in November 2000.
Jackman was back under the surgeon's scalpel in September 2002 - for
a further 'disectomy' (the removal of part of a disc) on the same
disc - yet, remarkably, reclaimed her world No1 crown a year after
returning to the world circuit.
 A
week after winning last month's Shanghai WorldStars
Championship, the first major event to be held in mainland China,
the Norfolk star was rushed to hospital in Doha after sustaining
breathing difficulties in the semi-finals of the Qatar Classic.
Her comeback attempt in the following week's KL World Open in
Malaysia ended in disappointment when a 'dead leg' led to her being
unable to offer any serious second round resistance against New
Zealander Shelley Kitchen.
"I had a scan as soon as I got back home and it revealed what I
feared - that I have a slipped disc and a slight tear in another
disc," said Jackman from her home in Norwich.
"I don't think my body's ready for yet another bout of surgery so I
feel that there's no real alternative but to stop playing.
"I'm very disappointed as I always envisaged that I would retire
when I wanted to, rather than when I was forced to, as I am now. And
I feel I've been playing as well as ever recently, and was looking
forward to competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games - which has been
my goal for sometime now," added the only woman to have won two
squash medals in both the 1998 and 2002 Games.
"It'll feel really strange just not playing at all any more - not
even matches in the local men's leagues - and I will really miss all
my friends," added the dejected world No2 who was awarded the MBE
earlier this year.
Cassie Jackman, MBE |
There's only one Cassie
Linda Elriani
Six British Titles
 “Cassie
may have ended her competitive career a little earlier than
she intended but it has been a truly sparkling one. She has
lit up the WISPA Tour, experienced great personal triumphs,
been world number one, world champion, battled back after
serious injuries and kept on winning.
“She won friends everywhere with her buccaneering style on
court and warm personality off it. Every player has to retire
at some point but not seeing Cassie's name on major event
draws will take some getting used to.”
Andrew Shelley
WISPA |
“It's always a sad day when one of the world's top players has
to retire - and the world of squash has lost one of its
greatest names today.
“Cassie is one of the most disciplined and hard-working
players I have known - the perfect role-model for youngsters.
She has not only been one of the most loyal players we have
ever had at Prince, but she has also served her country with
distinction - she will be sorely missed.”
Andy
Bunting
PRINCE |
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 England
National Coach David Pearson believes that Jackman is the
best player England has ever had: "Cassie has been our best woman
player for some 12 years now and, except for the British Open, has
won every title possible - including her record sixth British
national crown earlier this year.
"But what perhaps sets her apart from all other players in the world
is her incredible strength," added Pearson, her coach since 1996.
"The fact that she twice came back from back operations to return to
the peak of her game shows incredible strength of mind and body - I
count it as a real privilege to have worked with her." |
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TOURNAMENT VICTORIES:
28 WISPA Titles:
1991: Swiss Open, Surrey Open. 1993: US Open, Rulewave weer
Open
1994: Weymuller Open
1995: Boston Pro-Am
1996: Weymuller Open. Philadelphia Open
1997: US Open
1998: Apawamis Open, Phil Smart Open
1999: Squash MS Chicago Open, Mexican Open, Monte Carlo Classic,
World Open, US Open
2000: Dallas open, Las Vegas open
2001: Milo Open, Monte Carlo Classic
2003: Edinburgh Open, Las Vegas Open, Squashworks Open, Malaysian
Open, US Open
2004: World Grand Prix Finals, Monte Carlo Classic, Shanghai
WorldStars
British National Champion: 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
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