Solid start for squash players

The New Zealand squash team had a generally successful first day’s competition at the Oxenford Studios.

Paul Coll, the No 2 men’s seed had no difficulty dispatching Kelvin Ndhlovu of Zambia in straight games, and No 10 seed Campbell Grayson was similarly unconcerned in beating Jason-Ray Khalil of Guyana 11-3, 12-10, 11-1 and then Scotsman Kevin Moran 11-9, 11-0, 11-9.

The only New Zealander eliminated from the men’s singles was Wellingtonian Evan Williams. He won a surprisingly testing first round match against Jacob Kelly of the Cayman Islands 11-9, 11-5, 13-11, but was no match for the 12^th seed, Nafizwan Adnan of Malaysia in their second round encounter.

The Malaysian won 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.

In the women’s draw, Joelle King, newly promoted to world No 4, but the second seed for the Games singles, beat Deon Saffery of Wales in quick time and Amanda Landers-Murphy beat Mihiliya Methsarani of Sri Lanka. Landers-Murphy now runs into top seed Laura Massaro of England in straight games.