Botwright spies the famous
five ...
 It
says much when you are more than six months pregnant, you had
planned to begin a new job in New York, and yet you still come
to the tournament you always wanted to win but never did.
That's what Vicky Botwright expects to do at this year's
British National Championships, partly for a natter with
friends, but also because there are such an entertaining variety
of good women players that you could know all about them and
still not be able to pick the winner.
 Take
Jenny Duncalf. She has beaten the runaway World No.1
twice in succession and became the highest world ranked British
player, so you might think she is firm favourite for a
successful defence of the title.
Favourite yes. But not firm enough for confident predictions. It
says much about the size of the leading group that it would no
huge surprise if even so excellent a player were denied by any
of four others.
 The
most likely to do that is Alison Waters, who beat the
titleholder Duncalf in the final two years ago.
But it could also be Laura Massaro, the 2008 runner-up,
or Madeline Perry, the British Open runner-up, or even
Tania Bailey, another former British National Champion, who
is still bravely making her way back after so many setbacks.
It was tempting to see whether Botwright had a feeling who might
prevail. But wisely she sidestepped that little minefield,
rather memorably expressing instead her regrets about not
joining in. “I don't think baby Boswell would be that happy
running around so much,” she said.
What the former England No.1 might have said is that Duncalf
seems to have made a stride forward recently. A tighter focus
and a steelier mindset were integral to her becoming the first
person in four years to beat Nicol David twice in a row.
They are qualities which Duncalf may especially need this week;
especially as her only previous title defence hit the buffers
before the final. Just one woman, Cassie Jackman, has
managed a successful defence in the past decade.
There were also moments last year when Waters looked the most
dangerous British player, displaying ability to pressure
opponents with a volleying of a quality which few possess.
Bailey, though, is one who does. Most unbiased observers hope
she has regained the fitness needed to capitalise on this
ability, and if she has, she will be a contender.
Perry is almost always that. The courageous Irish woman beat
both David and Waters to reach the British Open final five
months ago here; returning to the scene of those successes could
inspire more.
Massaro is still strengthening her self-belief, as a career-high
World No.7 last year indicates. Her recent adoption of one
surname, that of sports psychologist Danny Massaro whom she
married in 2007 and who has helped her mentally, may have a
particular meaning.
Likely then, this handful of front-runners will emerge. And even
if Mrs Boswell can't now make it six, she might be around to
give her opinion, provided you don't let on, which of the five
will prevail.
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