15 May 2018

Kiwis drawn to meet each other at British Squash Open

11:26 am on 15 May 2018

Good and bad news for the New Zealand women's squash number two Amanda Landers-Murphy who has won through qualifying for the main draw at the British Open in Hull.

Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy of New Zealand celebrate after winning Commonwealth Games gold.

Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy of New Zealand celebrate after winning Commonwealth Games gold. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Unfortunetly Landers-Murphy has drawn Commonwealth Games gold medal team-mate and 4th seed Joelle King in the first round.

Paul Coll is in the men's draw and meets Englishman George Parker first up.

The last New Zealander to win the British Open title was Leilani Joyce in 2000, while Dame Susan Devoy won it eight times between 1984 and 1992.

As for King, she hasn't had much of a chance to celebrate the success from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Since her singles gold medal and women's double gold medal with Landers-Murphy as well as a bronze in mixed with Paul Coll she's been on the road and has yet to return to New Zealand.

King flew straight from the Gold Coast to Egypt for a big Super Series tournament but fell in the second round.

Since Egypt she has spent time at her base in Bristol as well as playing PSL league squash and is now set to play the British Open.

King is seeded fourth and has a consistent record in the main draw at the Open having reached the quarter-finals on four occasions in a row, 2012-2015, missing 2016 with injury before returning last year, but being upset in the first round in the 2017 tournament.

"The good thing with Hull is that it's in the north of England and it's close to where all the squash is based. For New Zealanders the British Open is recongnised after the success of Dame Susan Devoy at the tournament. My main focus is to play the best I can play. I have a qualifier first round, but these days the qualifying standard and depth is really, really high. You can't just rest of your laurels and think it's a done deal. It's just one step at a time and play the best I can."

King will return home to play the national champs in June.