King beats world No 2

The big wins keep coming for Kiwi women’s squash star Joelle King.

King has progressed to her first World Series final at the Windy City Open in Chicago after a fivegame victory over world No 2, current world champion and defending tournament champion, Raneem El Welily from Egypt yesterday.

It was the second event in a row that world No 9 King had beaten El Welily.

‘‘At the start of last year it was kind of a turning point for me. I was looking down the barrel of either giving it up or throwing myself out there and it seems to be paying off,’’ King said.

‘‘I’m like a fine wine, I get better with age. I’m enjoying my squash.’’

In her previous tournament in Cleveland, she also defeated El Welily to win the title.

King will face current world No

3 Nour El Tayeb, also of Egypt, in the final of the US$250,000

(NZ$342,000) tournament. ‘‘Raneem and I have been playing together since we were

13-years-old.

‘‘She has always been better than all of us and we were always chasing her. We bring out the best in each other, we have got contrasting styles and it seems to make for some good squash.’’

King is part of a seven-player New Zealand Commonwealth Games team for the Gold Coast event in April.