12 Aug 2010

Only one NZ win in opening round of Australian Squash Open

6:11 am on 12 August 2010

Jaclyn Hawkes is safely through to the second round of the Australian Open, on an otherwise gloomy day for New Zealand's top squash players in Canberra.

Hawkes made light work of her opening match against Korean Song Sun-Mi, romping to a 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 victory.

The eighth seeded kiwi will face Ireland's Aisling Blake in the second round.

Fellow kiwi Joelle King just missed out on joining Hawkes in the second round, after going down in five games to England's Tania Bailey.

Kylie Lindsay, Amanda Cranston and Amanda Landers-Murphy also bowed out in first round action.

Meanwhile, the last remaining New Zealander in the men's draw also tasted defeat. Campbell Grayson found Egyptian world number four Karim Darwish too hot to handle, beaten 11-9, 11-4, 11-7.