Kiwi King to compete for equal pay at Open

New Zealand squash player Joelle King will start her campaign at the British Open today and is excited at the prospect of being the first woman to grab the same pay cheque as her male counterparts.

Taking place in Hull this week the Open has King, ranked 11, matched up against Egyptian qualifier Mayar Hany, ranked 33, in the first round and King said it will not be an easy draw.

‘‘It’s always one of the most prestigious tournaments on the professional calendar. I guess growing up I always watched Susan Devoy winning it. I’ve made the quarters four times and I’d like to go better.’’

One of the biggest highlights for the 28-year-old is that for the first time there is equal prizemoney for the women’s event. A total prize pool of US$150,000 is on offer for each of the men’s and women’s draws in 2017.

‘‘We play the same, train hard, play the same sets.

‘‘It’s great for the British Open to be equal. It’s really exciting time for women’s squash. Next year it’s just been announced we’re going to have a tournament of US$250000 for both men and women, so it’s great for the sport and it’s going to help squash keep growing.’’

However King admitted her form going into the tournament was not what she had hoped.

‘‘There’s no dominating player. It’s really anyone’s game, especially in the top four or five.

‘‘I had a couple of tournaments in February which weren’t my best and I decided to go home to New Zealand and get myself rested and ready. When you get older you start knowing what is best for you.’’