2022 Australian National Championships Preview

Five of Australia’s athletes bound for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will headline the Australian National Squash Championships, which will get underway in Darwin this week,  from 23-26 June.

The Australian National Championships brings together the country’s top players and will feature five of Australia’s Squash Commonwealth Games team members with just under 40 days to go until the Birmingham Games.

It will be the last chance for the Aussies to play on home soil, and to etch their names in history, with national championships across PSA Men’s and PSA Women’s up for grabs.

Local Northern Territory player Rhys Dowling will be returning to his home courts and is looking forward to playing on them once again.

Last year, Dowling was defeated in the PSA men’s final by Melbournian Rex Hendrix 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-2), so will be looking for redemption, and a home court advantage, this weekend.

“I’m excited to play in front of a home crowd in Darwin again,” he said. “I’m looking forward to trying to go one better from last year's Nationals where I came  runner up there.”

Dowling will be joined by fellow local Darwin athlete Joseph White, who is set to make his Australian senior debut at the World Games next month, and will head into the National Championships as the no.1 seed.

Gold Coast 2018 gold medallist Donna Lobban will lead the charge in the women’s PSA event as the top seed.

It will be a strong women’s competition, with six-time Commonwealth Games representative Rachael Grinham as well as debutants Jessica Turnbull and Alex Haydon also in the mix, both of who are set to make their Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham next month.

Lobban will make her national championships return this weekend, having not played in the event since 2019 when she won the Women's PSA Closed title.

“It’s so nice to be home and to play at the Nationals again. I’m looking forward to playing with some of my Australian teammates so it will be good to have this opportunity,” she said. 

Four players headed to the WSF 2022 World Junior Championships have also put their hats into the ring across the PSA draws including Sophie Fadaely, Hannah Slyth, Greg Chan and Oscar Curtis.

The Australian National Championships will also highlight the next generation of Australian squash talent, with the addition of the U23 age group and men’s and women’s graded events also on show. 

Find the full draw and schedule here

The Australian National Championships will be live streamed via Cluch