Ngāti Porou squash champion and world No.5 Joelle King has won her opening match at the PSA Black Ball Open in Cairo, Egypt.
She took out the match with a four game victory in just 51 minutes against 10th ranked Tesni Evans from Wales.
The head-to-head between the two players was at two apiece with Evans claiming the last two victories.
As King was given a bye to the second round and appeared to be caught off guard by Evans who took the first game of their match 11-7.
King kept her composure to come back at Evans and draw level in the second game and then continue to push on in the match dominating all areas of the court to close out a 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 victory.
“I actually hate playing Tesni,” said 30-year-old King. “She’s probably my best mate on tour, we always share together and we are sharing here. We practise together all the time and so we know each other’s game. It’s always one of my hardest matches to play. She always fights until the end and I was pleased to get off in four.
“I think that this court is a bit too quick for her. She has got that amazing backhand and at the US Open and the British Open, she out did me with it. So, it’s nice that for once, I managed to get in front of her and impose my squash, because it’s normally the other way around.”
Even knowing the crowd won’t be with her, King is keen to show that nations other than Egypt can be represented at the business end of major tournaments.
“It’s no secret that the Egyptians dominate the tour, so I’m coming here to see if I can match them. They are leading the way for women’s squash.”
King will now play India’s world No.16 Joshna Chinappa in the quarter-finals of the tournament.