Kiwi squash star King primed for US Open
Joelle King is back to feeling ‘‘a bit like a junior again’’, excited to kick off the new PSA World Series season off in style, after struggling both on and off the court last year.
The 29-year-old from Cambridge has showed positive early signs ahead of the first of the key big events on the calendar - the US Open - and has plenty of enjoyment back in her game, which had gone missing somewhat in a disappointing 2016/17 season.
King rose a place to No 10 in this month’s world rankings, but struggled last season to make much headway towards her for- mer high mark of No 4, with earlyround exits in the World Series events - which comprises the five most prestigious tournaments of the season, with points from them, and the world championships, determining the top eight players to contest the World Series Finals in Dubai in June.
‘‘There was some stuff going on last year in my personal life which was probably the hardest thing I’ve been through before, and I’m not blaming it, but it’s pretty tough when things are happening, on court,’’ King said.
‘‘It was really disappointing for me, so it’s been nice to start the year well and address all those things, and with good support from everyone around me, I feel like I’ve bounced back, so it’s exciting times really.’’
After being home for a few weeks in July and winning the national title, King begun a fivemonth stint on the road by again winning two gold medals at the doubles world champs in Manchester, then started the World Tour season in good touch by making the semifinals at the China Open (PSA 100) after going in unseeded and taking down world No 4 Laura Massaro and legendary world No 5 Nicol David, then being runner-up at the Macau Open (PSA 50).
She credited a good threemonth winter block of training in New Zealand for her good form, something she hadn’t been able to do as she played catchup after her her ruptured Achilles tendon injury in August, 2014.
‘‘I was kind of chasing tournaments and just trying to raise my level again, and since then I hadn’t really had a really really good consistent block of physical training,’’ she said.
King knew she had to not only get back to her own level, but that while she was out the standard was increasing too, so it has taken a bit of time to try and get up to speed.