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25-Feb-05:
END OF THE ROAD FOR REBECCA MACREE |
Macree played in
14
WISPA Tour Finals,
winning four.
FULL WISPA RECORD
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Rebecca
Macree has announced that she has decided to retire from
the Women’s Professional Circuit after 17 years with immediate
effect.
The decision was made after narrowly being defeated by World No.2
Vanessa Atkinson from The Netherlands in the Tournament of Champions
in New York.
Rebecca, who was born deaf, has competed at the highest level
representing England in the World and European Team Championships
despite her disability.
Rebecca said “Seventeen years travelling the World to all the
different countries and meeting all the fantastic people has been a
chance of a lifetime but on the downside the air travel and living
out of a suitcase for all those years does take its toll so I have
decided to call it a day”.
Known for her forthright style of play on court she is sure that
quite a few of the ladies on the circuit will breathe a sigh of
relief knowing that she will not be drawn against them in future.
Rebecca comments “I know some of the girls have not liked my style
of play but I have played this way all my Squash career. For the
people who really know me I am a different animal off court than
on”.
Andrew Shelley, Executive Director of the Women's International
Squash Players' Association, added: "Rebecca is rumbustious on
court, sometimes a real handful for referee and opponent alike, but
let's not be sidetracked. Her long and successful career has been
based around great athleticism and drive. She has always hit the
ball as sweetly as anybody in the sport. More than this, of course,
she has overcome the difficulties posed by deafness to a degree that
has been inspirational."
When asked what she is going to do in retirement she replied “Take a
good long rest first and then we will see ...” |
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Rebecca has been continuously in the world's top twenty since May
1993,
and in the top ten since December 2002 ... |
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