Home side are top men's seeds

ACES: Wanganui men's E-grade top seeds, Hamza Ali, No1 (left), and Shanon Whitlock, No2, prepare the start of the nationals in Wanganui yesterday. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY 210813WCBRCSQ01

The pressure was on the hosts as the Property Brokers E-Grade National Squash Teams Championships kicked into action at the Wanganui Squash Club yesterday.

The Wanganui side was top seed in men's competition and expectations were high after the hosts secured a spot in the nationals after winning the Central Squash District title in June.

Ohakune Squash Rackets Club's women's team will also be competing after they won their Central title at the same event in New Plymouth in June.

Ten men's and 10 women's team from Alexandra in the south to Whangarei in the north are in town to hoist the E-grade title. Each team has seven players, although two will act as reserves come court time.

Wanganui men's team manager Rob Moore said being named top seeds virtually meant nothing once competition began, although it did add to the pressure and created an expectation.

"There's always pressure, I guess, but both the Wanganui men and women have earned their spots in this event by winning their respective regionals and they're all motivated and ready to go," Moore said yesterday.

The games will be played between 8am and 8pm daily until finals day on Saturday when the action really hots up.

Meanwhile, the Wanganui Squash Club also has a team entered in the national C-grade competition in Palmerston North which runs over the same period.