Credit / Squash NZ
Joelle King (Ngāti Porou) has won her opening round squash match at the El Gouna International in Egypt.
Fifth-seed King beat 19-year-old Egyptian Sana Ibrahim 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 in 27 minutes.
King said she was well prepared for the game and satisfied with her good start to the tournament.
“Last time I played Sana, the first time I did actually, it was 3-1. She was my first round in Manchester after I had an injury, I hadn't played for a bit.
"She is young, she knows how to put the ball away, and she took me a bit by surprise to be honest. So today I was more prepared.
“It’s hard sometimes with some of the youngsters, you don't know how they play, you don't know what to expect. So playing her in Manchester helped me a lot today," King said.
King, who suffered an upset loss in the third round of the world championships a little over a week ago in Egypt, is keen to finish the season on a high.
“It's been a long season and when you are a top player, you have got to back it up. Sometimes things don't go to plan but it’s about how you come back from that, and that's what I want to do in this tournament, to finish the season well.”
King will play American Olivia Fletcher on Tuesday morning NZT.