Zoe Yeomans can’t wait to represent Ireland next week in Canada at her second successive Junior World Championships. “It’s always great to get to go outside of Europe to play,” she enthused about the upcoming adventure at Niagara-on-the-Lake. “It’s a new place, new court, very exciting.”
A year ago, Egypt was the destination and Yeomans finished with her head held very high. First, there was an opening-round win in the GU19 individuals.
Then came her six appearances in the team tournament, including an invaluable victory in her match when the 15th-seeded Ireland upset the rankings to beat the 10th-seeded Brazil along the way to a 12th place finish.
“I won the first round in individuals, so I was fairly happy with that,” she recalled. “It’s always great to get a win, and I was playing well. Like, it’s a good standard over there, so we did quite well. It was a good experience.
“I was just kind of happy to be there. Just trying to do the best that I could because these people are amazing and they are the top players in the world, so I was just excited to play and contest against them. Like, in Cairo we got to play the Indian team. Amazing.”
Twelve months on, the Black Ball venue still has a fond place in Yeomans’ heart as the squash set-up there remains her favourite. “I really like Germany, in the Sportwerk club,” she replied when asked to name the court she most likes. “That’s a really nice club with the glass court and everything, but actually Cairo was an amazing club. I loved it.”
It’s now on to new adventures, two weeks in Canada that she has worked very hard for. “I’d say I was very on form at the start of the season, had a dip around (fifth year) exams in February and then I have built back up; I’m feeling pretty good going into Worlds.
“The preparation has been going pretty well, just getting on court every day, doing gym sessions and just getting prepared as best as I can for the Worlds.
“I kind of knew through my results in the (junior tour) tournaments that I would get on the team, but when I got the letter, I was just very excited, very happy to be going to Canada and just representing Ireland.
“It’s obviously amazing every time you are picked for Ireland. It’s really exciting to get to go and represent your country against all the best players in the world. It’s just a great opportunity and it’s a really good learning experience, especially playing against the top players in the world.”
Her latest trip will see a family expedition as well. “My parents and brother are going after the first week, and my uncle lives over there so we will meet him there.”
Squash has been Yeomans’ thing for quite some time now. “I started playing when I was eight and I only really started competitions at around nine or 10, and then I have just been playing tournaments ever since. I love it.
“I got into it when I did like a multi-activity camp in Sutton. Eoin (Ryan) was coaching there and I really enjoyed it, so it’s just been great to have loads of friends in it; it’s really fun.
“Maybe when I was 10, I started doing much better in competitions. I went to Prague, and I came first in that tournament in U11s, so I thought, oh, this is it for me. I love this sport.”
An added attraction heading to Canada is that so many of Yeomans’ Ireland teammates are from Sutton. “It’s a great club,” she vouched. “We have got five out of the eight players from Sutton. It’s a nice environment down there, and we have got Eoin as our coach getting us ready for the tournament, so it’s good.
“We are all really good friends. It’s a nice team; we all get on really well, so we can hang out outside of squash as well. It’s great at the tournaments to just be able to be friends outside squash.
“I have always looked up to the older players in Sutton. I’ve always wanted to be like Breanne Flynn. She’s amazing; she is doing really well now, so I have always looked up to her. And I’d say professional one of my favourite players would be Nour El Sherbini; I just really like her dedication and her demeanour on court.
“I love being on the Irish team. It was really good in Worlds last year. That has been one of my favourite moments, and I have loved just travelling through Europe. I really like the German Junior Open and the Czech Junior Open. They’re amazing.”
