'World's best' squash players head to Tauranga for back-to-back events

World number 2 player Paul Coll and his teammate Joelle King, ranked 5th in the world, are competing in the Carrus Nations Cup and NZ Open at Trustpower Arena. Jamie Troughton/ Dscribe Media

Sixteen of the world's best squash players will compete in the inaugural Carrus Nations Cup squash tournament in Tauranga this week.

The four-day event will be held on the state-of-the-art glass court inside Trustpower Arena from November 3-6.

This will be followed by the PSA silver New Zealand Open at the same venue from November 8-13.

Eight teams will be vying for top honours at the Cup event with New Zealand dynamic duo Paul Coll and Joelle King headlining the competition.

An excited Coll told the Bay of Plenty Times these tournaments were a "huge deal" for the squash scene in Tauranga and the rest of the country.

"It's been 30-odd years since we have had a New Zealand Open. So to have the NZ Open again is something quite special and it's great for squash."

Coll, currently ranked the world's number two player and a 2022 Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist, said it will be "super special" playing at home on the one of best courts in the world.

"We play away our whole career. I don't think I have ever played at such a big home thing before, so it's going to be cool to hear the crowd going nuts for New Zealand.

"And it's great to have these tournaments in Tauranga. Hopefully, the atmosphere is really good too."

The 16 players competing in the Carris Nations Cup tournament held at the Trustpower Arena this week. Jamie Troughton / Jamie Troughton/ Dscribe Media

Coll said he had played a few times in Tauranga, including competing in a number of junior tournaments, nationals and at the "amazing" Dame Susan Devoy Squash Centre. He won the Tauranga Open Squash Tournament in July.

"It's one of my favourite centres in New Zealand and it's great we can have such a big event back here. I love playing for New Zealand and I love playing with Joelle."

Coll said he had family living in Mount Maunganui, and his parents would be staying with them during the tournaments.

"Tauranga is one of my favourite places in New Zealand. I absolutely love the Mount and tell everyone who comes here, it's one of most beautiful places in New Zealand and they have to visit.

"So I'm stoked to be here for 10 days competing and relaxing."

Joelle King, the world No 5 and doubles and mixed gold winner in Birmingham, agreed. She said playing in Tauranga felt like "coming home" as she had spent a lot of her childhood visiting Mount Maunganui and played here a number of times.

"Like Paul, I'm really looking forward to playing in front of a huge vocal home crowd."
King said having the Nations Carrus Cup and the NZ Open both being held in Tauranga was "huge" for the future of NZ squash."

The Carrus Nations Cup will be the testing ground for a major initiative with the launch of the SquashFORWARD Series, intended to trial changes to how the game is played and delivered.

Each game will be the first to seven points and if the game scores are locked at six points all, a sudden-death point will be played, with the winner of the rally taking the game.

Australian Jessica Turnbull will be competing against NZ top player Joelle King in the Carrus Nations Cup at 6 pm on Thursday night. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Australian Jessica Turnbull, 27, who ranks about 70th in the world, will face King on Thursday night.

Turnbull said it was her first time visiting Tauranga.

"I'm terrified facing Joelle first up but It's really cool to be competing in Tauranga in such an awesome event.

"I'm hoping to get to see more of your city including your wonderful Mount Maunganui beach."

Yournament director Wayne Werder Photo / Sandra Conchie

Tournament director Wayne Werder was buzzing on the eve of the event, with play starting at 1pm today.

"I'm very excited. It's been a sort of dream for 12 months, so to get here today with a court up so quickly after the Tauranga Home Show over the weekend, I think people will be blown away by the look of all glass court, and to have the world's best players in Tauranga is pretty special."

Werder said next week at the NZ Open 48 of the world's best players from 20 nations would be competing at the same venue.

"I am just really proud that Tauranga has been able to pull this off. This event has been run for 30 years and it hasn't been since 1993 that they ran the NZ Squash Open.

"I think it's quite special that our three local squash clubs, Te Puke, Mount Maunganui and the Dame Susan Devoy Squash Centre have been the ones to pull it off and help to put Tauranga on show around the world," he said.