Kiwi squash queen Joelle King has captured her first NZ Open crown, defeating Welsh rival Tesni Evans in straight games at Tauranga.
But fellow Commonwealth Games champion Paul Coll has had to settle for runner-up in the men's draw, falling to archrival Mohammed ElShorbagy in a hotly contested final.
Top-seeded King, 34, was not troubled by one of her closest friends on the international squash circuit, prevailing 11-4 11-6 11-5 to take her head-to-head record to 5-3 against the world No.14.
"She's fun," said King. "She can make jokes, and can switch in and out, but I'm the opposite.
"I have to stay in my zone and avoid laughing when she makes jokes on court.
"We've been through some tough times. It's a lonely sport, so when you find someone you get along with, you stay tight.
"We're in each other's corner and I'm very happy to come off the winner today."
After capturing the opening game against ElShorbagy - the Egyptian-born former world champion - Coll could not finish his bright start, succumbing 9-11 11-8 11-4 11-7.
"It's not my moment, but I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who made this happen," said the two-time British Open champion, after his rare appearance at home.
"Getting squash back to New Zealand is amazing. It's not how I wanted the two weeks to go, but I want to thank all my family and everyone who came to support me."
More to come
