Catriona Casey turns 30 this August and while she’s still a young woman, a casual conversation with her mother in the days leading up to her semi-final win over Aoife McCarthy got the Ballydesmond star thinking, writes Paul Fitzpatrick.
“I was talking to my mother on the phone during the week and I was asking was she coming up for the semi-final and she was saying, ‘I suppose there might not be that many years left in it, Jerh Healy always says to us with Tony that he really misses going to the games’. I was like, ‘oh God!’,” she smiled.
“At the same time, you never know, I’ve been very lucky to stay relatively injury-free despite the odd niggle and things like that.
“Luckily my boyfriend Conor is a physio and he has been helping me because in Minneapolis I had seven games in four days so that really took its toll on the body as well.
“I’m trying to make every competition count now at this stage.”
Losing the All-Ireland 4-Wall final in a tiebreaker against Ciana Ní Churraoín stung and increased her motivation, she admitted.
“I suppose losing the small alley final this year to Ciana was a tough blow so that definitely re-focused me and made me work even harder.”
Casey came through in a pair of 21-12 games against Westmeath’s McCarthy. The Cork player’s court savvy and shot-making was very impressive; McCarthy, who won the Irish Nationals, was superb off the back wall but Casey was always in control as she advanced to yet another final.
It was a second tough match in succession for the Ballydesmond star, who saw off former finalist Ciara Mahon (Kilkenny) in the quarter-final.
“I didn’t play the big alley Nationals last year or this year, last year I had a wedding and this year I was going to Minneapolis and there were so many ranking points lost there when you don’t participate at all. I’m way down the rankings so I was expecting a tough draw.
"Ciara last weekend was really tough, she always fights for every ball in every rally so it was a tough slog. Aoife was coming in as the number one seed and had momentum after winning the Nationals as well so, again, a really tough game and I’m delighted to be in the final.”
While the draw was tough, she’s glad now of the strong tests having not had time to train specifically for the big court due to her overseas endeavours.
“I definitely think it was a good thing last weekend because, not making any excuses because every player has things going on in their lives and things that get in the way of training, but we were back from Minneapolis on the Tuesday and then I was meeting Ciara on the Saturday.
“That was a really tough test, thrown in at the deep end but you either sink or swim then so I definitely think I benefited from that game.”
Casey is favourite to win the final but, she said, she is taking absolutely nothing for granted.
“We haven’t played before, she had two very good wins in the quarter-final and semi-final and she won the Junior All-Ireland last year so she is used to playing in finals and performing on the day.
“I suppose she might be saying she has nothing to lose in her first senior final but I definitely won’t be taking anything for granted. She has real physical strength so we’re going to have to be smart about it for sure and I’m looking forward to it.”
View fixtures here.