Squash Queensland Preview of the Costa North Coast

Sandgate’s Jessica Turnbull leads a strong contingent of Queensland-based players at this week’s Costa North Coast Open in Coffs Harbour.

The 28-year-old is top seed for the tournament and will be hoping to go one better than in 2022, when she finished runner-up to Hong Kong’s Chan Sun Yuk.

Turnbull takes on Malta’s Daisy Hill-based Colette Sultana in the first round, a player she knows well from both the PSA tour and Brisbane competition.

“She’s a tricky player and if I need to be 100 per cent from the word go -- it will be a tough first match,” she said. “I’ve played her a lot in Brisbane competition and they are always difficult times.”

The world number 64 goes into the tournament in top physical shape after enjoying a good off-season following her win in the Australian Nationals in June and said the Costa North Coast Open was a great way to start the new season.

“It’s been nice to have an off-season, normally the Australian players don’t get one,” Turnbull said.

“This is a good tournament and it was worth it for me to enter because I can get good ranking points.”

She said it was also a good opportunity for fellow Sandgate player Madison Lyon, who snuck into the main draw following a couple of late withdrawals.

“It’s great having transitional players coming out of juniors into the PSA,” she said of the 18-year-old, who takes on Victorian fourth seed Sarah Cardwell in the first round.

“It’s a great opportunity for her to get some ranking points.”

Cairns’ Sophie Fadaely is also on first round action and will face India’s Urwashi Joshi, the eighth seed.

Six Queensland-based players will hit the courts in the men’s draw, which starts on Wednesday.

Gold Coast’s Joseph White and Sandgate-based Rhys Dowling have first round byes, Gold Coast-based Nick Calvert takes on Daisy Hill’s David Turner, James Lloyd from the Gold Coast faces West Australian Oscar Curtis and Daisy Hill’s Bryan Lim is up against Korea’s Ryu Jeong Min.