Squash star Turmel cruises through to next round at Commonwealth Games

By Tom Harle in Birmingham

Not even search engine oracles could help Ipswich squash star Lucy Turmel figure out her first-round opponent at the Commonwealth Games.

The 22-year-old is used to running into the same old faces on the PSA World Tour but couldn’t make head nor tail of Papua New Guinea’s Amity Alacros.

“I didn’t know anything about her,” said Turmel. “I Googled her and couldn’t find anything.”

Still, she got the job done in thumping fashion, claiming a 11-5 11-1 11-1 victory at University of Birmingham to advance to the second round of the women’s singles competition.

Turmel, who relies on shots of coffee in between matches to keep her stimulated, is getting her first taste of the big Games atmosphere in Birmingham.

Understandably there were butterflies ahead of her Team England bow.

Reflecting on the match, she said: “It went well. I had a few nerves at the beginning.

“I had a lot of people come to watch me today which was nice but I’m glad that match is over with.

“I’m ready to go. I tried to be clinical and just get the job done.”

Next up for Turmel is a far more familiar foe in Australia’s Jessica Turnbull.

“I’m fully focused on my next match now,” she said. “It can’t come soon enough.

“I know a lot more about the girl I’m playing, I’m able to do a bit more research which will be great.

“It will be more testing and challenging but that is what I want, so I’m looking forward to it.”

A former gymnast, Turmel is coming into the Games full of confidence having won gold at April’s European Team Championships.

She is also entered in the women’s doubles competition alongside Georgia Kennedy.

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