A week out from leaving for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, World No 4 women's squash player Joelle King will smash out one final tournament at Tauranga's Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre this weekend.

At 8pm tonight the 25-year-old will take on Tauranga stalwart BJ McKenzie in the first round of the Tauranga Open.

Joelle King will play in front of a Tauranga audience tonight.

More than 130 players, including A Grade competitors from New Zealand and the United States, are set to play in the Tauranga Squash Club's biggest tournament of 2014 from July 11-13.

Joelle, who is based in Cambridge, will play another two games on Saturday with times to be determined by draws on the day.

'It's been awhile since I've come over and played. It's always been that I have something on or I'm overseas, so it's fitted in quite nicely this year,” she says.

'I train a bit with [Tauranga's] Ben Grindrod; he's their top player at the club. He usually comes over here, but obviously with Susan Devoy and John Oakley, I've known them for a while, and they were quite keen to get me over.”

Joelle gained World No 4 status in February this year.

'I was No 5 for about a year, and finally made the move to No 4, which is nice.”

Joelle has played squash since she was eight, and as a professional trains six days a week, mixing skills training and high intensity work.

'I'm with my fitness trainer four days a week, on court twice a day.

'As I get closer to tournaments I will still do the six days, but it just becomes shorter, sharper stuff, just to sharpen the mind and body up before I go away.”

Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre club president Char Niles says Joelle is a massive draw card for the event.

Overwhelmed with interest from players and the public, Char says marquees and grandstands have been erected to cater for crowds.

'The tournament has also attracted a contingent of players from the USA, which is exciting.”

She says having New Zealand-ranked and international players competing should make for excellent viewing.

The top draw also sees top players including Michael Pittams, Paul Bedford, Matiu Te Kani-McQueen, Ben Thornton, Stephen Hurley, and brothers Josh and Jamie Oakley competing for first round wins.

Tauranga's Robbie Wyatt, current coach of the World Junior Boys' Teams and coach of former World No 1 Leilani Joyce, also joins the strong field.

The tournament runs from July 11-13 with finals currently scheduled for 3.20pm on Sunday.