World-class athletes may be born with unique talents, but any one of them will tell you it takes a whole lot more than talent to make it to the top in any sport. It takes grit, determination, perseverance, intelligence, hard work, support from friends, family and coaches…so many traits that we all admire. It also takes the best equipment. So when a player we admire says he or she uses a particular brand of shoe, or racquet, or string because it works best for their game, we tend to take note.
We asked a number of top professional squash players why they use Ashaway strings and what they like about them. here’s a first sampling of their replies:
Joelle King is a relative newcomer to the WSA World Tour, but is already making a definite mark. Joelle first burst onto the world stage in april 2010 at the Texas Open where she stormed through the draw unseeded, taking out three higher ranked opponents before beating top seed Rachael Grinham in the final to capture her fifth and biggest career title. She finished 2010 ranked No. 17, having become the New Zealand Women’s champion and winning a gold and silver in the commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. By November 2012 she had reached WSA No. 5 before settling back to No. 7 in early 2013.
For Joelle, competition is the ultimate thrill of squash. That’s why she uses ashaway PowerNick® 18, a Zyex® monofilament strung at 28 lbs. that provides exceptional power and durability.
“I love to play the world’s best to see how I match up,” said Joelle. “That means bringing my best to the court, both in my play and my equipment. After switching to PowerNick 18 last year, my game has been improving by leaps and bounds, which has fueled my determination to be the world’s best squash player.”
Ong Beng Hee began playing squash when he was eight, and first came to international attention in January 1994 when he won the prestigious British Junior U14 Open title in England. Now 33 and with four successive Asian Championship titles from 2000-2006, gold medals in both the 2002 and 2006 asian Games, 12 PSA World Tour titles in 20 final appearances, and a career-best world ranking of No. 7, Beng Hee has become Malaysia’s most successful male squash player of all time. His string of choice is Ashaway UltraNick® 18.
“What I like about the UltraNick 18 is the feel I get with the strings,” he said. “I feel so connected to the ball, which gives me the control I need. And because the string is very light and durable it doesn’t affect the weight on my racquet and keeps the racquet head light. But most importantly UltraNick 18 gives me the confidence to perform at the best of my ability! control, lightness and durability are my weapons for success!”
