Squash: Zac and Emma Millar dominate Bay of Plenty Open

Hamilton's Zac Millar (left) in action during the Bay of Plenty Squash Open men's final at the Geyser City Squash Club. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua's Geyser City Squash Club hosted the Bay of Plenty Squash Open at the weekend and it was those with the last name Millar who dominated.

Zac Millar, who partnered Rotorua's own Amanda Landers-Murphy in mixed doubles at the Commonwealth Games, won the men's tournament while his older sister, Emma Millar, won the women's.

The pair, who grew up in Paraparaumu but are now based in Hamilton, appear to be finding form at the right time, with the New Zealand Squash Championships just around the corner.

Zac beat Tauranga's Ben Grindrod three sets to none in a hotly contested final and said afterwards it was good to get a win over a player who had had the wood over him recently.

"[It feels] awesome. I haven't beaten that boy for a long time and after playing a five-setter last night it was a bit of a mission. I was a bit sore this morning but I won the first set and momentum is a big thing in squash, I felt on top after that. Ben has beaten me in pretty much every final I've played this year so it was good to finally get one over him.

"I was putting the ball in the right place. I was never going to outrun him, he's a lot better athlete than I am so it was more the mental game and putting the ball in good spots," he said.

He said his Commonwealth Games experience had made him a better player.

"Obviously I didn't play singles, it was just doubles, but just being around the top guys in the world, for me mentally, seeing what they do in preparation, after the game, during the game, all the extra stuff you don't really consider when you're just playing local tournaments. It's the mental side of things, when I'm on court I feel a lot more relaxed."

Emma Millar (left), of Hamilton, plays a shot on her way to a Bay of Plenty Open women's win at the Geyser City Squash Club. Photo / Stephen Parker

Emma beat Whāngarei's Abbie Palmer, also by three sets to none, in the women's final, her second consecutive tournament win after winning the Waikato Open the week before. A rising star in her teens, she has spent much of the last five years in and out of the game due to a combination of tertiary study and injuries. She was out for seven months last year due to a severe concussion after colliding with a Malaysian player in an international tournament.

However, back healthy and finding form, she could be a force to be reckoned with at nationals.

"The concussion was really bad. I went through all sorts of ups and downs, far more downs than ups, and you contemplate never picking up the racquet again.

"I tried to come back in March but wasn't quite ready and injured my abductor so I had to go back to the drawing board and make sure I ticked all the boxes.

"Obviously there's a lot more work to do and nowhere near where I want to be, but I'm really happy with this tournament. I think Abbie was a little under the weather. We played about three weeks ago and she won that one so I was really keen today. For me, each week I'm getting better and better with the work I've put in," she said.