It was a very good season for New Zealand’s top two, Joelle King and Paul Coll … relive it with them
Joelle King
World Ranking: #6
Season Best Achievments: Hong Kong Open, Manchester Open
Played: 34 – Won: 23 – Lost: 11 – Win Percentage: 67.6%
New Zealand’s premier female squash player, Joelle King, had a good 2018-2019 season, cementing her place among the world’s best.
Not the best start of the season though, suffering some premature exits failing to get past the last 16 of both the China Open and U.S. Open.
In between those, King made it to the quarter finals of San Francisco Open, but it was in November where her season really kicked off.
The Kiwi went all the way at the Hong Kong Open, beating the soon-to-be World No.1, Raneem El Welily, in straight games in the final. The victory was her first Platinum title on the PSA World Tour.
King continued her good form for the rest of the season, as she made the quarter finals or better of the final six tournaments she entered this season.
A semi final appearance at the Tournament of Champions was followed by making the quarter finals at the PSAWorld Championships in Chicago.
Joelle then made the semis of the Black Ball Open in Cairo, ahead of the El Gouna International, where she lost out in the quarter finals to Welily.
The Kiwi took her second title of the year at the Manchester Open, as she beat Welshwoman, and good friend, Tesni Evans in the final. Her final major event of the year saw her reach the quarter finals of the British Open.
Paul Coll
World Ranking: 6
Last Season Achievments: Canary Wharf Classic
Played: 51 – Won: 36 – Lost: 15 –Win Percentage: 70.6%
Paul Coll had another fantastic season on the PSA World Tour, as he rose up the World Rankings, whilst making the quarter finals or better of every tournament he entered.
His season started with an appearance in the final of the China Open, but he unfortunately lost out to Mohamed Abouelghar. He then reached the quarter finals in his next three events.
After those last eight showings at St George’s Hill, Qatar and Hong Kong, Coll went on to reach the semi finals of the Black Ball Open to end the calendar year.
He went on to reach the quarters of both the Tournament of Champions and the World Championships, before then reaching the final of the Canada Cup.
He lost out to Diego Elias in the final in Toronto, but just two weeks later, Coll won the Canary Wharf Classic. He beat World No.3 Tarek Momen in the final to claim the biggest title of his career.
The Kiwi went on to reach the quarters of the DPD Open and El Gouna International, before making the semi finals of the British Open, in the final major tournament of the season.