Squash: Bannister eyes doubles whammy

Rod Bannister Photo/File

Wanganui's Rod Bannister hopes to turn the clock back with an old under-19 team-mate when the Big Barrel New Zealand Doubles Championships start at SquashGym in Palmerston North this afternoon.

The dual 2013 New Zealand and Australian Masters 45-49 champion, Bannister will team with Manawatu's Mike McSherry, one half of the reigning men's national doubles champions.

They were teammates in the NZ under-19 team that went to the 1986 World Juniors in Brisbane.

Bannister and McSherry are seeded fourth in the FMG's Men's Open draw in a field of 32, including many younger combinations hoping to gain selection for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July.

They are also second seeds in the Masters Over 35 draw, behind former Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold medallist Glen Wilson and former NZ Masters champion Corey Love.

Bannister has been in good form, having won the Central Districts doubles tournament in March with Josh Greenfield.

Overall 150 players will contest the championships.

The headliner is Commonwealth Games doubles gold medallist Joelle King, ranked fourth in the world in April and coached by Wilson.

King will compete in the BNZ Women's Open and the men's open with Bay of Plenty's Amanda Landers-Murphy.

Each match will be best of three sets, with each set played to 11 points, and sudden-death if the score is tied 10-10.

The nationals start at 5pm today, with the finals tomorrow from 3pm onwards.