2015 Australia Squash Junior Open

More than 250 of Australia’s most outstanding junior squash players, and several top Internationals, will be in Willoughby this weekend for the Australian Junior Squash Open.

It’s the biggest field for more than 15 years, and signals a big turnaround for junior squash in Australia.

“Within just a couple of years we’ve gone from fields of 160 to 253,” Squash Australia National Development Manager, Trevor Smith, said.

“We always get good numbers in NSW, but these numbers are a credit to the hard work of our squash members around the country.

“We now have a viable product.”

This weekend’s event, which runs from Friday through until Easter Monday, has attracted players from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Local stars include Queensland’s Lakeesha Rarere, Australia’s most promising junior and a runner-up at the Australia Day Challenge, who will start as number one seed in the girl’s Under 19 division.

Her clash with outstanding New Zealand junior, Abbie Palmer, will be one of the highlights of the tournament.

And there will be a new generation of two of the biggest names in Australian squash on display.

Ethan Eyles, whose father Rod won the World Open in 1997, and Tom Lacy, the son of former world number one, Michelle Martin, will be in the Under 13 and Under 11 divisions respectively.

The Australian Junior Squash Open will be played at the Willoughby Squash Centre from Friday through to Monday 3-6^th April 2015.