March 7, 2025 • 8 mins
Wellington teenager Ollie Dunbar produced a major upset at this week's New Zealand Squash Open in Christchurch.
Dunbar, ranked 257th in the world, ousted Portugal's World number 54 Rui Soares 3-1, in just 47 minutes.
Dunbar - who was in the event as a wildcard - joined Adam Cooper to reflect on the historic result, and chat through his squash journey.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
News looks Evy on the ill Sport Breakfast nineteen away
(00:02):
from eight well The New Zealand Squash Open in christ
Church has unearthed a new young squash star. Wellington. Eighteen
year old Oli Dunbar played the match of his life
in the first round as a wild card and he
tipped over Portugal's world's number fifty four Rui Suarez three
games to one, taking just forty seven minutes to do it.
(00:22):
How good. So to put it into a perspective for you,
Olli Dunbar is ranked two hundred and fifty seventh in
the worlds and upset the world number fifty four, so
a major win for Olie's career. He went on to
be knocked out in the second round, but later in
the week by the third seed. But I think it's
a great result for Ollie, who left Scott's College back
in twenty twenty three has been traveling around the world
(00:44):
to pursue his squash. So what a great story for
a young Wellingtonian. Ollie is with us now, I'm morning
to you.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Oli.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What an amazing week you've had.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, I've really enjoyed it. It's been great, you know,
all the all the top players there and everything is
really good experience, yeah, and the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, wild card into the first round. What was your
strategy taking on someone ranked three hundred places higher than
you and the world.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh well, I just yeah, just try to play my
game and stick to my strengths, try not to worry
too much about him, because obviously no prepture on me.
So yeah, just do my best before I what.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I have you and with where you are with your
squash at the moment, what are your strengths that you
speak of there that you do sort of rely on
so to have the success that you've had.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh well, like my game the other day, like round
the Middle, I played well and good structure to my
game at the moment, so yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, nice one mate. So you left Scott's College a
couple of years ago. Now, tell us I guess what
got you into squash? How long you've been playing it for?
How far through school or even you know, before high school?
Did you pick up the sport?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah? I picked up the sport when I was about
seven or eight. Like my parents both played, so they
got me into it. Just took me down to the
local club I at Kendala's Squash Club and yeah, I
just played it ever since. Ye enjoy it?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What did you love about it? Through school? And I
guess you would have had to choose it over some
other options.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, yeah, wow, I had lot to mate to, like, met,
lot to make around the country. Traveling to tournament is
always cool when you're when you're quite young and enjoy
going away to see your friends and playing sport. And yeah,
I played, used to play cricket and football. Squash gone
a bit more serious, so I just started to focus
on that and about year eleven, Yeah, and I.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Know you started to you know, get involved in the
system and then had some sort of pathway support from
hpcn Z. How how was it juggling those last few
years of school with your squash obviously something you had
a real passion and skill for in those early years.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, well it was okay with school, like just did
what I had to do for school and then focus
on squash really so yeah, it was it was good.
Good having the support from High Performance Sport as well,
using the gym there, like nutrition and stuff like that's
really helped me, especially in the past year or so
because it's.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
A sport that I guess you wouldn't say, as you know,
super popular for young people to play, but I mean
it's nice to hear that there was a good community
around you of people involved in the sport that I'm
sure helped push you along.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, definitely, like it's one of the most popular sports,
especially here in your hell and so it's good when
you've got it's quite goods like a tight group of
mates and the squash community is really tight. Everyone sort
of knows each other, so it's quite good in that way.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Has squash been able to be your main focus in
that year since you left school? Have you had other
things like study or anything, or have you've been able
to sort of give it your full time and full energy.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, well I've mainly gave them my full full energy.
I've worked three days a week at supermarket and Wellington
just to get a bit of money to travel and
stuff and pace a bit more things so help some
of my parents to favor everything.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So yeah, I'm sure that stokes for that. And what
kind of goals did you set over the past year.
Obviously you know, being able to play it at the
New Zealand Open as a wildcard in front of fans
and I'm sure had a bit of a role then
cheering you on in that win the other nights. You know,
what kind of goals have you set for you know,
the stage of your career.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh, coming into this tournament didn't really have any expectations.
Like I've been overseas for a couple of months at
the start of this year. It felt like I've improved
and learned a lot and lots of things to work
on and like for the rest of the year. Like
my goals. I've got the World Juniors in Egypt and July,
which aiming to get a middle at So that's my
main goal for this year.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And with all the travel you do, I know you've
spent some time in the UK and Scotland and things.
But how nice is it coming to a professional tournament
at home. It's set up in the theater there in
christ Church, where I imagine the noise is pretty strong
and echoes around. How much did that help you out
for that big win the other night?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
It was awesome, Like even just walking out, like in
front of everyone cheering me on, it was great. And
once I started to get going and go okay, everyone
got right and behind me. So it was awesome and
just when.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You look back, how special is it? I think it's
been very often or maybe hardly ever we're in New
Zealander has come to a tournament for the first time
and beaten someone ranked so much highly above them, Like
what does it actually mean to you?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh, it's awesome, like obviously coming to the tournament like
I just wanted to. There's a great experience, you know,
get some ranking points and then to win then everyone's
cheering you on, get behind me as awesome. Yeah, can't really,
we can't have gone too much better.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Really does that win change much for you just based
on the fact you won that game? Like do do
opportunities open up? And you mentioned the ranking points, but
we will doors open purely thanks to that when you
had the other night.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Oh well, yeah, I'll get into some My world ranking
will go up, which will definitely help me get into
bigger tournaments like overseas and stuff, rather than if my
ranking stayed the same. So yeah, that will be good.
Get to play some bit of tournaments and yeah, hopefully
my ranking keeps going up as well.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah great, did your parents make it down from Wellington
for the week?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah? My dad, Well we didn't have much eight and
me booked a flight home on our Wednesday morning after
my game on Tuesday, but he ended up changing his
flight so he could stay.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Oh that's great, well, awesome to hear he was. He
was there to watch the week unfold for you. In
terms of you know, this New Zealand Open, we're obviously
lucky to be able to have you know, some real
top players from around the world back, including Paul Cole.
I understand you've had a bit of a chance to
have a bit of a chat with him. What's that
been like, having having some decent time with one of
the Zealand's top players.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, Paul is a great guy and
obviously he's very successful and squash and yeah, it's been
great getting getting to know him over probably the past
few months really, and it's been good. Getting on court
of them is awesome. Like it's always got bits of
advice to give me, which is which is great.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, what's one thing that he might have seen to
you that's that's really sort of stuck with you and
maybe made you a better player.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Oh like, probably just get stuck into these guys like
no matter like what they are they're not expecting you
to beat them or challenge them. So I think that
was bally helpful my first match. You know, I just said, like,
fire up, mate, there's nothing to lose and give it everything.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
How hard is it going to be making that travel
around the world, the costs involved, and you know, not
always guaranteed prize money. Like, it's pretty tough, isn't it
making these these trips around the world to all these
different tournaments.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, it's definitely tougher, specially financially, but like they like
got a couple of good sponsors at the moment, like Patain,
Steven Kilbernie and Barfa and Thompson helping me out of it. Yeah, definitely,
still lots of costs to cover. Still, Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Want to ask about obviously we know that squash will
be back at the Olympic Games in twenty twenty eight
in Los Angeles, what does that mean for you and
the sport? Has it made everything a lot more exciting
and having that extra achievement to strive for?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, definitely, Like I know, like a few players have
come out of retirement to try and get into the Olympics,
So yeah, obviously I'll do my best to get in there,
but yeah, it's awesome just to have that there the
pinnacle of just about every sport in the world, and
there's no different first time in the Olympics. Everyone just
(08:10):
really wants to be there and were striving for a
middle Wellie.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's been great to watch your success through the week.
Appreciate your time, mate, Congrats on the huge week you've
had and all the best in the coming weeks and
months as you do a bit more travel and hopefully
it's some really strong results. So all the best, mate,
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
For more from News Talks, that'd b listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
News looks Evy on the ill Sport Breakfast nineteen away
(00:02):
from eight well The New Zealand Squash Open in christ
Church has unearthed a new young squash star. Wellington. Eighteen
year old Oli Dunbar played the match of his life
in the first round as a wild card and he
tipped over Portugal's world's number fifty four Rui Suarez three
games to one, taking just forty seven minutes to do it.
(00:22):
How good. So to put it into a perspective for you,
Olli Dunbar is ranked two hundred and fifty seventh in
the worlds and upset the world number fifty four, so
a major win for Olie's career. He went on to
be knocked out in the second round, but later in
the week by the third seed. But I think it's
a great result for Ollie, who left Scott's College back
in twenty twenty three has been traveling around the world
(00:44):
to pursue his squash. So what a great story for
a young Wellingtonian. Ollie is with us now, I'm morning
to you.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Oli.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What an amazing week you've had.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, I've really enjoyed it. It's been great, you know,
all the all the top players there and everything is
really good experience, yeah, and the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, wild card into the first round. What was your
strategy taking on someone ranked three hundred places higher than
you and the world.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh well, I just yeah, just try to play my
game and stick to my strengths, try not to worry
too much about him, because obviously no prepture on me.
So yeah, just do my best before I what.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
I have you and with where you are with your
squash at the moment, what are your strengths that you
speak of there that you do sort of rely on
so to have the success that you've had.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh well, like my game the other day, like round
the Middle, I played well and good structure to my
game at the moment, so yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, nice one mate. So you left Scott's College a
couple of years ago. Now, tell us I guess what
got you into squash? How long you've been playing it for?
How far through school or even you know, before high school?
Did you pick up the sport?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah? I picked up the sport when I was about
seven or eight. Like my parents both played, so they
got me into it. Just took me down to the
local club I at Kendala's Squash Club and yeah, I
just played it ever since. Ye enjoy it?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
What did you love about it? Through school? And I
guess you would have had to choose it over some
other options.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, yeah, wow, I had lot to mate to, like, met,
lot to make around the country. Traveling to tournament is
always cool when you're when you're quite young and enjoy
going away to see your friends and playing sport. And yeah,
I played, used to play cricket and football. Squash gone
a bit more serious, so I just started to focus
on that and about year eleven, Yeah, and I.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Know you started to you know, get involved in the
system and then had some sort of pathway support from
hpcn Z. How how was it juggling those last few
years of school with your squash obviously something you had
a real passion and skill for in those early years.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, well it was okay with school, like just did
what I had to do for school and then focus
on squash really so yeah, it was it was good.
Good having the support from High Performance Sport as well,
using the gym there, like nutrition and stuff like that's
really helped me, especially in the past year or so
because it's.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
A sport that I guess you wouldn't say, as you know,
super popular for young people to play, but I mean
it's nice to hear that there was a good community
around you of people involved in the sport that I'm
sure helped push you along.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, definitely, like it's one of the most popular sports,
especially here in your hell and so it's good when
you've got it's quite goods like a tight group of
mates and the squash community is really tight. Everyone sort
of knows each other, so it's quite good in that way.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
Has squash been able to be your main focus in
that year since you left school? Have you had other
things like study or anything, or have you've been able
to sort of give it your full time and full energy.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, well I've mainly gave them my full full energy.
I've worked three days a week at supermarket and Wellington
just to get a bit of money to travel and
stuff and pace a bit more things so help some
of my parents to favor everything.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So yeah, I'm sure that stokes for that. And what
kind of goals did you set over the past year.
Obviously you know, being able to play it at the
New Zealand Open as a wildcard in front of fans
and I'm sure had a bit of a role then
cheering you on in that win the other nights. You know,
what kind of goals have you set for you know,
the stage of your career.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh, coming into this tournament didn't really have any expectations.
Like I've been overseas for a couple of months at
the start of this year. It felt like I've improved
and learned a lot and lots of things to work
on and like for the rest of the year. Like
my goals. I've got the World Juniors in Egypt and July,
which aiming to get a middle at So that's my
main goal for this year.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And with all the travel you do, I know you've
spent some time in the UK and Scotland and things.
But how nice is it coming to a professional tournament
at home. It's set up in the theater there in
christ Church, where I imagine the noise is pretty strong
and echoes around. How much did that help you out
for that big win the other night?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
It was awesome, Like even just walking out, like in
front of everyone cheering me on, it was great. And
once I started to get going and go okay, everyone
got right and behind me. So it was awesome and
just when.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You look back, how special is it? I think it's
been very often or maybe hardly ever we're in New
Zealander has come to a tournament for the first time
and beaten someone ranked so much highly above them, Like
what does it actually mean to you?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh, it's awesome, like obviously coming to the tournament like
I just wanted to. There's a great experience, you know,
get some ranking points and then to win then everyone's
cheering you on, get behind me as awesome. Yeah, can't really,
we can't have gone too much better.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Really does that win change much for you just based
on the fact you won that game? Like do do
opportunities open up? And you mentioned the ranking points, but
we will doors open purely thanks to that when you
had the other night.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Oh well, yeah, I'll get into some My world ranking
will go up, which will definitely help me get into
bigger tournaments like overseas and stuff, rather than if my
ranking stayed the same. So yeah, that will be good.
Get to play some bit of tournaments and yeah, hopefully
my ranking keeps going up as well.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah great, did your parents make it down from Wellington
for the week?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah? My dad, Well we didn't have much eight and
me booked a flight home on our Wednesday morning after
my game on Tuesday, but he ended up changing his
flight so he could stay.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Oh that's great, well, awesome to hear he was. He
was there to watch the week unfold for you. In
terms of you know, this New Zealand Open, we're obviously
lucky to be able to have you know, some real
top players from around the world back, including Paul Cole.
I understand you've had a bit of a chance to
have a bit of a chat with him. What's that
been like, having having some decent time with one of
the Zealand's top players.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, Paul is a great guy and
obviously he's very successful and squash and yeah, it's been
great getting getting to know him over probably the past
few months really, and it's been good. Getting on court
of them is awesome. Like it's always got bits of
advice to give me, which is which is great.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, what's one thing that he might have seen to
you that's that's really sort of stuck with you and
maybe made you a better player.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Oh like, probably just get stuck into these guys like
no matter like what they are they're not expecting you
to beat them or challenge them. So I think that
was bally helpful my first match. You know, I just said, like,
fire up, mate, there's nothing to lose and give it everything.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
How hard is it going to be making that travel
around the world, the costs involved, and you know, not
always guaranteed prize money. Like, it's pretty tough, isn't it
making these these trips around the world to all these
different tournaments.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yeah, it's definitely tougher, specially financially, but like they like
got a couple of good sponsors at the moment, like Patain,
Steven Kilbernie and Barfa and Thompson helping me out of it. Yeah, definitely,
still lots of costs to cover. Still, Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Want to ask about obviously we know that squash will
be back at the Olympic Games in twenty twenty eight
in Los Angeles, what does that mean for you and
the sport? Has it made everything a lot more exciting
and having that extra achievement to strive for?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, definitely, Like I know, like a few players have
come out of retirement to try and get into the Olympics,
So yeah, obviously I'll do my best to get in there,
but yeah, it's awesome just to have that there the
pinnacle of just about every sport in the world, and
there's no different first time in the Olympics. Everyone just
(08:10):
really wants to be there and were striving for a
middle Wellie.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's been great to watch your success through the week.
Appreciate your time, mate, Congrats on the huge week you've
had and all the best in the coming weeks and
months as you do a bit more travel and hopefully
it's some really strong results. So all the best, mate,
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
For more from News Talks, that'd b listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
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