Squash: King battles back to reach main draw

Former world champion Dame Susan Devoy tumbles as she takes on Tauranga MP Simon Bridges yesterday to promote the Mt Maunganui Festival of Squash. Photo / Alan Gibson

Hamilton's Joelle King showed her fighting spirit to come from two games down to qualify for the main draw of the New Zealand women's squash open at Mt Maunganui yesterday.

King, 20, is one of four players to win through from qualifying and will take her place in her first Gold Star main draw in the A1 Homes sponsored event which has attracted seven of the world's top 10 vying for $82,000 prizemoney.

The world number 39 overcame talented Australian left-hander Donna Urquhart, ranked 29th in the world, and eventually prevailing 11-9 in the fifth game.

She joins world number 23 Engy Kheirallah (Egypt), world 38 Lisa Camilleri (Australia) and world 28 Line Hansen (Denmark) as the four qualifiers into the main draw.

King made a tentative start as Urquhart dominated the opening two games winning 11-9 and 11-5. The New Zealander, who won the Australian Open last month, found better length and dominated the rallies to win the next two games 11-6 and 11-5 to force the match into the deciding fifth game.

Both players fought strongly with the lead changing hands six times in the decider. At 9-9 King dug deep to win the final two points for victory.

"It's great to make it into a main draw of a tournament of this level," King said.

"I really struggled early on. I was really nervous playing at home in front of friends and family.

"I was very tentative and just did not see the ball well at all right through. So to come back and win is pretty special. To win over a player as good as Donna when you are not playing well gives me real confidence.

"I know I will need to step up tomorrow in the first round and will need to play a lot better."

Earlier Kheirallah was impressive in dispatching world number 37 Joey Chan in straight games 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

The 27-year-old from Cairo said she was pleased with her performance after struggling with lack of recent tournament play and jet lag.

Camilleri was made to work hard against Lindsey, the three-time New Zealand junior champion, now based in Halifax in northern England. Lindsey came from two games down to claim the third game but was beaten 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 11-5.

Hansen was too classy for talented young Australian Francis, winning in straight games 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.

There's a further local player in the main draw for the New Zealand Men's Classic with Evan Williams winning through in his second round match to join the other qualifiers Leo Au (HGK) and Australians Rex Hedrick and Jacob Alexander in the main draw starting today.

The key match today pits New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes, world No 15, against the top seed and world No 2, Natalie Grainger (USA) while Shelley Kitchen meets a tough first-up opponent in Hong Kong's Annie Au.