Women's World No 19 Kasey Brown To Retire by Howard Harding 8 October 2014
- Kasey Brown, the world No19 from Australia and President of the
Women's Squash Association (WSA), has decided to retire from the WSA
World Tour after competing in next week's Delaware Investments US Open
in Philadelphia.
Brown will continue to serve on the WSA Board until the end of her term of office.
A WSA member for the
past 12 years, 29-year-old Brown reached 24 Tour finals and collected
11 titles including the Australian Open. Her biggest success came at
the Greenwich Open in the USA in January 2011. Nine months later, she
reached the US Open final for the first time and went on to achieve a
career-high world No5 ranking in December 2011.
Away from the WSA
Tour, Brown is a three-time Australian National Champion and became the
only squash player to win three medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in Delhi - a gold and two bronzes - which she followed up at Glasgow
2014 with a further bronze in the Mixed Doubles.
"I think a player
knows when it is time to retire from the tour and I've found great
satisfaction in coaching and helping others achieve what they want out
of squash," said Brown, who hails from Taree in New South Wales but has
been based in Greenwich in the USA for several years. "I've been based
oversees for a long time so it is great to have moved back to Australia
and coaching at Tonic Squash and Gym on the Mornington Peninsula and
working with Rodney Martin - you can't beat the Australian Beach!
"My aim now is to help
promote squash and encourage participation in Australia through
developing new facilities through McWil court distribution.
"It is very much an
honour to serve as President of the WSA and huge thanks must go to
Tommy Berden, Elliot Selby and the WSA Board for all of their hard
work. I know the Women's Tour is in good hands.
"Looking back at my
career, I think the biggest highlight for me is the people that I have
met and the amount of support I have received. I wouldn't have achieved
what I did without the support of so many people and I am very grateful
for that. I do want to mention and thank my family, and Rod and Amelia
Martin who supported me every step of the way - and also my sponsors
Delaware Investments and Harrow Sports."
WSA CEO Tommy Berden
said: "Retirement decisions are never easy, even more so for such a
determined and competitive professional as Kasey. She has been highly
successful on the WSA World Tour for many years and has recently also
shown her dedication and forward thinking in her new role as WSA
President.
"It doesn't come as a
surprise that she has been chosen as director of coaching of Tonic
Squash and Gym in Dromana, which gives her the opportunity to return
back to Australia after a long time away from home. We look forward to
seeing Kasey compete one more time at the US Open and are happy that
she will stay on as WSA's President for the remainder of her term."
England's world
champion Laura Massaro and fellow WSA board member added: "I was really
sad to hear of Kasey's retirement. She is a great player and someone I
respect hugely. Every time I stepped on court with her I knew what a
tough match it would be. She gave her all to her squash and I know that
will continue in whatever the future brings. I wish you the best of
luck Kasey.
"It's been a privilege
to have Kasey alongside me on the board. Her organisation, commitment
and passion for the game have shone through over the last 10 months in
her role as President. She always has the best interest of women's
squash at the forefront of her mind and I can't thank her enough for
the work she has done for WSA."
