Kiwi squash ace Joelle King has given her Commonwealth Games medal hopes a boost, with victory at the Manchester Open.
The world No.5 over came English rival Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games 11-8 11-8 11-9 in 41 minutes to regain the title she last won in 2019.
That victory two years ago was King's most recent tournament success and she became the first player to win the Manchester Open twice.
"I'm actually quite emotional," said King, 33. "It's been a long time since I won an event and a lot has happened in my life since then.
"I've been through a lot of downs and to be at this point, winning a tournament against the calibre of players we have on tour means so much. It's nice to have so much support, some of my team aren't here and my body is in bits, so it's just so nice and emotional."
King defeated Perry for gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and is still the Kiwi's closest Commonwealth rival, ranked sixth in the world.
"It's been three years since I've seen anyone in my family and I love them," she said. "This is what all the sacrifices are for.
"I wanted to give my squash everything that I have, and this one is for them and to everyone who stood by me. When you're doing well, there's so many friends and people, but it's those that are there when things aren't doing so well that mean so much,."
King will skip tournaments over the next few weeks to focus on the world championships at Cairo, Egypt, on May 13-22.
