How much will the home crowd advantage be worth to Hawke's Bay squash player Winona-Jo Joyce during the North Island junior age group championships?
"I'm hoping the home crowd will get behind me. I've got a point to prove," Havelock North A2 grader Joyce said as she pondered the 128-player tournament which will be played at her club as well as the Hastings Tennis and Squash Club on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The 18-year-old was a member of the New Zealand team at last year's world junior teams champs in Chennai, India but was only named as a non-travelling reserve for next month's world champs in Malaysia.
"It was quite disappointing to miss out. If I can reach the under-19 final on Monday that would help erase some of that disappointment," Joyce said.
One of 13 players in her age group, left hander Joyce, is seeded second behind Waikato's Anika Jackson. Another Waikato player, Georgia Robcke, is the third seed and both Jackson and Robcke will travel to Malaysia. Auckland A2 graders Annemarie Holst and Lowri Waugh will add to the quality in the under-19 girls draw.