Commonwealth Games: King has sights on singles throne

To sum up Joelle King's last 10 days, check out the strings on her squash racquet.

There's a small spot that has frayed. It stands out because the rest of the racquet looks like it's just come off the production line.

The fraying is no surprise. She's endured a marathon schedule in the doubles at the Commonwealth Games, where an endless number of women's and mixed matches have tested the mind as much as the body.

But then take a closer look at that spot. It's right in the centre, which tells another story.

"They say it's a good sign when your strings are starting to fray in the middle. It means you're hitting the ball well," she said. "And I think it must be right. I'm playing as well as I ever have, and moving well as well."

The confident talk matches the play of King in New Delhi.

A women's doubles gold medal with Jaclyn King and mixed doubles silver with Martin Knight are the reward for a campaign which the Cambridge 22-year-old hopes to use as a launching pad for an assault on the world's best singles players.

Knight has no doubt when asked about King's career prospects.

"All the way," is the simple response.

New Zealand coach Anthony Ricketts also sees no point in playing down the potential of a player with the right attitude, physical attributes to intimidate and with time on her side to improve on an already rapid rise to 20th in the world rankings.

"I think she can go as far as she wants to go," he said. "I expect her to be in the top 10 in the next 12 months and then it's only a matter of time before she's in that No 1 spot."

Such talk would make some players uncomfortable but not the lanky King, who only took up the sport seriously six years ago.

The sister of one-test All Black Regan King, and daughter of former Junior Kiwis rugby league representative Paul, she excelled at several sports growing up.

She credits the assistance of Hamilton fitness trainer Jason Wheaden for her enormous strides of late.

"He's developed my game by getting me physically stronger. For a girl, I think I've got quite a presence on the court, quite tall and strong.

"That's definitely a big part of my game."

But even the fittest of athletes have their breaking point.

A few hours after her back-to-back finals last night, members of the squash team say King went into "shut down".

The fitness fanatic had run her race and there was concern over her health for a period.

However, she awoke feeling chipper today, apparently talking about when she'll next have a hit.