Australia readies for World Doubles Championships

After a year and a half in the role, Squash Australia’s National Head Coach Stewart Boswell will lead Australia into his first international competition as coach when the WSF World Doubles Championships begin on 5 April. 

The former World No.4 was appointed to the National Coach role in spring 2020 but it’s been a long wait to see if and when Boswell would be able to lead an Australian team with the 2021 WSF Men's World Team Squash Championship and 2020 WSF World Junior Championships cancelled.

With less than a week until competition gets underway at Glasgow’s Scotstoun Leisure Centre, Boswell is looking forward to being involved with the team.

“It feels well and truly overdue that Australia’s back competing at an international representative event,” he said.

“After an interrupted couple of years and players having limited playing opportunities, it’s great that the World Doubles Championship and other PSA events internationally are now a reality for Australian players.”

The Australian Team have been preparing for several months with Donna Lobban, Ryan Cuskelly and Zac Alexander linking up overseas to practice together as they are set to form some of the key partnerships for World Doubles. 

Meanwhile, the players based in Australia increased the amount of doubles specific practice from the end of 2021 and played in two doubles events - Australian Open Doubles and Doubles Invitation. 

“It will be nice to finally have the full team together for a lead in camp in Glasgow prior to the World Doubles,” Boswell said.

Australia will head into World Doubles with a target on their back after a clean sweep of all three events - women’s, men’s and mixed - at the 2019 World Doubles on the Gold Coast. It was a dominant showing from the team three years ago with all-Aussie finals in every event. 

In fact, across six editions of the event, Australia has taken 10 gold medals from a possible 18 up for grabs. However, with the Commonwealth Games in just over three months, there is no doubt that this World Doubles put players on alert as the last major doubles event prior to Birmingham 2022.

“Each nation will be focussed on results which will most likely have a bearing on seedings for Birmingham,” Boswell explained. 

“I feel we have strong pairings and a lot of experience to have a good chance in each event. 

“Anything can happen in doubles though and it’ll be a case of getting the performances right that week in Glasgow,” he added.

Keep up to date with information on the World Doubles here.