Watts returns to the court in style
A year away from squash clearly hasn’t harmed young Kiwi professional Kaitlyn Watts’ game.
Watts has returned to the court after a year-long break, but came straight back into form, winning a PSA tournament recently and then two titles at the New Zealand doubles championships in Palmerston North last weekend.
The 20-year-old Manawatu¯ woman has been one of the country’s rising starts and turned professional in 2019, but she wanted a spell last year.
She instead played football for Palmerston North Marist in the W League and for Central in the national league, while working for Kelly Sports teaching sport to children.
Aside from one tournament in Palmerston North, she didn’t pick up a racket for more than a year, so it was a shock to the system once she got back into it.
‘‘I felt fresh in the mind, but the body did not feel nice. I did play football, so I still had some fitness, but squash is completely different and the legs were feeling it a lot.’’
She has given football up now she is back focusing on squash.
Her top form quickly returned as she won the PSA Challenger event at the Royal Oak Open in Auckland last month.
Then at the national doubles championships, she teamed up with Amanda Landers-murphy to win the open women’s competition, and then with Evan Williams to win the mixed competition. It was the first time Watts had won either of the titles. Landers-murphy and Watts were a new doubles pairing, but Watts said they clicked.
Watts, who spends time in Taupo¯ with coach Kashif Shuja, has a few PSA tournaments coming up, but wants to peak for the New Zealand senior championships in Wellington in June.
She was hopeful of going to the Commonwealth Games next year and believed winning the doubles would help.
At the New Zealand doubles championships, Landers-murphy and Watts, the top seeds, won the final 11-2 and 11-9 over second seeds Abbie Palmer and Lana Harrison from Auckland.
The men’s competition was won by top seeds and brothers Lwamba and Temwa Chileshe, who won the final 11-6 over sixth seeds Glenn Templeton and Leo Fatialofa.