Champions hit court

Elite converge on squash titles

AUSTRALIA’S squash elite will hit the courts at the Townsville Ten Pin and Fun Centre from today for the Australian Closed Championships.

The national tournament is open to Australian players at the highest standard of squash and gives them a chance to gain points on the Australian Squash Tour and the International PSA tour.

Several high performance athletes will descend on Townsville, including World No. 76 Zac Alexander ( pictured), who won eight professional titles in 2016, and World No. 50 Tamika Saxby in the main draw.

Joining the mix are Winning Edge squad members Rhys Dowling, Alex Eustace, and Jessica Turnbull, all of whom train under the watchful eye of performance coach Zac Alexander.

Queenslander Eustace farewelled his junior career in style with a win at the National Junior Championships and he is hoping to replicate his success at the Australian Closed titles.

“I get the opportunity at the Australian Closed to play against the top senior players in Australia and see how I shape up,” Eustace said.

Turnbull said she was excited to play in the Australian Closed with additional AST points on offer.

“It’s pretty exciting to know that if I’m fortunate enough to finish well I could be in good standing for the rankings for the rest of the year,” she said.

The tournament in Townsville isn’t just for professional squash players.

The National Graded Championships are being run alongside the Australian Closed to give graded players across the nation the opportunity to play similar players on a national stage.

Both tournaments start today and will run through to Sunday.