Zac Alexander: Going for gold in Birmingham 2022

It came down to one single game point for Zac Alexander and David Palmer in the 2018 Commonwealth Games Men’s Doubles gold medal match.

It was a nerve-wracking moment for the Aussie duo as they tried to hit that killer shot that would win them gold in front of a home crowd.

It came at 10-6 when their English opponent failed to hit the ball, giving Alexander his first Commonwealth Games medal, and Palmer’s second consecutive gold.

“It’s an experience I will never forget. Coming in we always knew we were a chance,” Alexander said, reminiscing on the historical moment. 

“Our biggest competition, the other Aussie boys Ryan Cuskelly and Cameron Pilley, ended up losing in the quarter-finals, which was a bit of an upset.

“We were the last Australian team left and thought ‘let's make the most of this'.”

The duo first paired up at the WSF World Doubles Championships in 2016, where they won silver after a tough and physical game against Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Alan Clyne, with the Scottish team winning gold 11-7 11-4.

Two years later, seeded no.5 coming into the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Alexander and Palmer beat no.3 seeds Paul Coll and Campbell Grayson of New Zealand before ousting no.2 seeds Clyne and Lobban on their way to the final.

“We got into the final and it was a bit cagey in the first game or two, neither team settled in but we sort of found our rhythm and got our tactics right in the third game,” Alexander explained of the final against Daryl Selby and Adrian Waller. 

Alexander, who hails from Brisbane’s bayside, believes that their success on the Gold Coast was the fact neither of them were playing in the singles competition

“Our sole focus was on the doubles which I think ended up being a good advantage as we ended up playing players who had been playing for a week already and then had to turn their attention to the doubles side,” the 33-year-old said.

Aiming to replicate the gold-medal feeling from the Gold Coast is a driving force for Alexander at Birmingham 2022. 

While this time it will be England who has the home-ground advantage, Alexander doesn’t see it as a disadvantage.

“Being away, in a weird way will make it easier,” he said. “We’re the underdogs this time, and Australia likes to have that tag but it doesn't take away from how special this opportunity is.”

Australia’s eight-member team will be part of a wider 435 Australian team for Birmingham 2022, the largest Team for an overseas Commonwealth Games.

Having the chance to be part of the broader Australian Commonwealth Games team is something Alexander highly values.   

“I think the main takeaway from the last Commonwealth Games was being part of something bigger than just yourself or the squash team is an amazing experience,”  he said.

“It’s something that squash, as an individual sport, doesn’t get to do a lot,” he added.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games runs from 28 August to 8 August.