NZ Squash Team Named As Favourites For World Doubles Champs

New Zealand Squash Team Named As Favourites For World Doubles Champs

New Zealand has been named as one of the favourites by the World Squash Federation for the 2017 WSF World Doubles Squash Championships in Manchester 1-5 August.

The fifth world doubles championships, featuring Men's, Women's and Mixed events, will be contested by a record 50 pairings from Australia, Canada, Colombia, England, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

New Zealand and Scotland are the reigning champion nations and expected to retain their gold medals at the tournament. Last year New Zealand won gold in women’s and mixed doubles and a bronze in men’s doubles.

Glen Wilson the head coach of the New Zealand team is happy with his players and expects them to come under pressure as one of the favourites for medals.

“I’m confident in our preparation and performance. We’ve been preforming well and consistently over the last year or so. Doubles is still a very open event, but we’re confident of what we can do.”

The world champs also have added value as they help decide the seedings towards next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Kiwi Joelle King is bidding to become a double gold medalist for the second year in a row after guiding New Zealand to title success in both the Women's and Mixed events in Darwin.

Paired with Amanda Landers-Murphy again in the 2017 women's championship, King is predicted to line up against Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, the No.2 seeds from India, in a repeat of the 2016 final.

King and Paul Coll are the Mixed favourites, while the No.2 seeds are also the same Indian pairing of Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal whom they beat in the 2016 climax. The second Kiwi pairing of Landers-Murphy and Zac Miller are in Pool 3 where Donna Urquhart and Pilley are the top seeds.

Scotland’s Alan Clyne and Greg Lobhan won the men’s gold at the 2016 in Darwin and are expected to face second seeded Australians Ryan Cuskelly and Cameron Pilley in the final. Fourth seeds are the Kiwi pair Paul Coll and Campbell Graywon who are in Pool 4, while Evan Williams and Lance Bedoes are in Pool 2 behind Cuskelly and Pilley.

The full seven-player team is; Paul Coll, Campbell Grayson, Evan Williams, Lance Beddoes, Zac Millar, Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy. The New Zealand team leaves tomorrow (Thursday).

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