Kiwi squash coach doesn’t see withdrawal of main player as major setback

WELLINGTON - New Zealand squash coach Anthony Ricketts doesn’t see main player Shelley Kitchen’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games as a major setback to the team’s medal hopes.

Kitchen, Northland’s squash star, was a late withdrawal from the Games team, suffering from pleurisy after a belated comeback to the sport following the birth of hers and Ricketts’ child, Amalia.

Her place has been taken by Matamata world No 51 Kylie Lindsay. Kitchen won a women’s doubles silver medal and singles bronze at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, NZ Herald reports.

“On a personal note I’m obviously disappointed for Shelley. Potentially this was her last Commonwealth Games and, having come back from having our little bubba girl, she’s got right back into the mode and was going to be tough to beat,” Ricketts said.

“She was valuable to us in the women’s singles and doubles, as well as the mixed, but Jaclyn (Hawkes) and Joelle (King) and both experienced, and we were probably never going to be that successful if we were reliant on one player anyhow,’ he said.

Kitchen’s no-show left Jaclyn Hawkes seeded seventh in the singles, with she and world No 20 Joelle King ranked fifth in the women’s doubles field. Hawkes and Campbell Grayson are also seeded fifth in the mixed doubles. (ANI)