Squash: Whangārei's Abbie Palmer in NZ senior team for worlds

Whangārei's Abbie Palmer is in the NZ women's squash team for the world championships in China in September.

Waipū 20-year-old Abbie Palmer has been named in the NZ women's squash team heading to the world championships in China in September.

Palmer, who is based in Auckland, has a world ranking of 84 and finished third at the NZ National champs in June.

She is the current NZ under-23 champion and the 2018 winner of the NZ woman's doubles and mixed doubles national titles. As a junior Palmer represented NZ at three world Junior team championships and also represented NZ at the Youth Commonwealth games in 2015, where she won a Silver medal in the woman's doubles and a Bronze in mixed doubles.

The team for China is led by world No 4 and three-time medal winner at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Joelle King. The 29-year-old has had a superb 18 months on the PSA world circuit and is rated highly by all of her rivals around the world.

King's women's double teammate Amanda Landers-Murphy who has a current singles ranking of 35 is also named in the team. Landers-Murphy, from Rotorua, was a beaten finalist in the NZ National Champs by King and won the gold medal in doubles with King on the Gold Coast.

Also confirmed for their first time in the team are Palmer and Kaitlyn Watts. Palmer is set to play a number of PSA pro tournaments in the next month.

The team coach is Kylie Lindsay a former professional on the women's PSA circuit between 2007 and 2014. Lindsay represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014 and was a member of the NZ world juniors team in 1999 and 2001 as well as the NZ world championship team in 2012, 2014.

Lindsay has been recognised in her sport as a top coach and also has a bachelor of business degree in marketing and sport business management from Massey University.

New Zealand's best finish at a women's world teams championship was runnerup in 1985 and 1992. Two years ago the team finished in seventh place.The top two seeded sides at the September 11-16 competition are expected to be Egypt and England.

New Zealand Women's Squash Team: Joelle King (Cambridge), Amanda Landers-Murphy (Rotorua), Abbie Palmer (Auckland), Kaitlyn Watts (Palmerston North), coach Kylie Lindsay.