Big week for New Zealand Commonwealth Games squash players

It’s a big week for squash with the nation’s two top 10 ranked players returning to New Zealand for the first time since prior to the Commonwealth Games two months ago.

Joelle King the current world No.4 and three-time medal winner at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will is home for a short break. She has just finished at the season-end world series tournament in Dubai for the top eight players and has had a top season around the world.

She will take on team mate from the Gold Coast, Lance Beddoes in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in Auckland tonight in the only permanent glass court in New Zealand, at the Squash XL Club in Avondale. Later in the week King will try and win her seventh national title at the Henderson Squash Club.

Paul Coll who has a ranking of 10 in the world will be aiming for his fourth national title and will also be involved in promoting the sport around Auckland prior to playing in Henderson.

Four other team members from the Gold Coast will also play in the national champs including women’s doubles gold medallist, Amanda Landers-Murphy as well as men’s players Evan Williams, Zac Millar and Beddoes.

A number of top juniors such as Kaitlyn Watts (Palmerston North), Anika Jackson (Waikato) and Matthew Lucente (North Harbour) will also take part in the national championships which run 15-17 June.