29th April – 2nd May 2010
Londt Park, Port Elizabeth
The 2010 Squash South Africa junior national championships sported two firsts – the event moved away from Johannesburg for the first time in a decade and it included an Invitation under 14 boys’ and girls’ section.
Competition in all the sections was fierce with many matched going to five and a record number of 15-13,14-12 and 13-11 games registered – there was even a 23-21 game !!! The behaviour was exemplary both on and off the court.
The girls under 19 section provided a few upsets with 4th seeded Lume Landman outplaying top seeded Robyn Baptiste in 4 games in the semi-final and then Robyn fading against 3rd seeded Alexandra Fuller in straight games in the 3rd position play-off.
In the other semi-final second seeded Elani Landman and Fuller were involved in an epic tussle with the Port Elizabeth player edging through 13-11 in the decider.
The final between the Landman twins produced some sparkling squash with both athletic players displaying their aggressive hard attacking play. Having lost the first game 13-15, Lume took the next two games each at 11-9 but Elani levelled matters winning the fourth 11-5 and pocketed the fifth by the same margin to win her first SA National under 19 title.
Megan Page (N) ran off with the under 16 title without dropping a game in the process.
In the semi final she disposed of Bronwyn Smithers (Kzn) and then in the final Hannelise Human (N) had no answer to Megan’s clinical game. Human had ousted 3rd seed Alexia Pienaar in a tough five games in the quarters and then needed five games to subdue top seed Laura Buck(CG) in five in the semifinal.
Smithers , the 6th seed accounted for 4th seeded Leana Botes in the quarters and then in the 3rd position play-off she defeated Buck in 5 games.
Port Elizabeth’s Kacey Leigh Dodd enjoyed the under 14 event . She beat 3rd seeded Siobhan Hawyes (CG) in the semi final and then took 4 games to beat 4th seed Tayla Victor(Border) in the final.
Victor had upset top seed Magkosi Peloakgosi (N) in the other semi-final.
Tough squash was the order of play in the under 19 boys’ event. Top seed Wade Groenewald (E) turned in a sterling performance throughout the weekend . Border’s Kyle Schwart pushed him to four in the second round as did Kwazulu Natal’s Ian Sturgeon in the quarterfinals. Boland’s Durandt Martin playing sensible sound squash forced the match to the wire in the semi final with Groenewald winning through 11-7 in the fifth. The final between Groenewald and Jason Byrne (Border)was a topsy turvy affair.
Groenewald eventually clinched the title 11-2 in the decider.
3rd seeded Byrne was involved in a tight lengthy battle with second seed Athan Page (N).
The score line 11-3 9-11 10-12 11-6 12-10 was a fair reflection of the tussle.
Most of the under 19 boys had a tough weekend as is evident from the following breakdown.
They played 5 matches : Cresswell 21 games: Martin 20, Jordaan 23, Carter 19, Byrne 23, Groenewald 21, page 21 !!!!
In the under 16 section Simpiwe Gqibani ,who recently moved from Border to Central Gauteng beat top seed Ross Pretorius (Border) in a very tough five games and then defeated 3rd seeded Daniel Smith (Kzn) in four in the final.
10th seed Johan Thiel who caused two upsets beating 7th seeded Tertius de Bruyn in straight games in the first round and then second seeded Jacques Theron in the quarterfinal narrowly lost in five games to Smith in the semi-final.
He had some consolation however when he defeated top seed Pretorius for the 3rd place took third place defeating Ross Pretorius in straight games .
In the under 14 event Aubrey Lawrence a surprise winner in the Hitec S A Schools Closed showed that win was not a flash in the pan.
From Boland Lawrence defeated Free State’s Andre Fair in the final.
Kwazulu Natal’s Shailen Maharaj and JP van der Merwe (WP) were involved in a delightful five game match for third place .
Maharaj clinched it at 9-2 in the fifth .
A number of development players who are being coached by Angela Difford and played well, enjoying the experience and the competition.
Results:
Girls:
Under 19 : 2- Elani Landman (EP) bt 4- Lume Landman (EP) 15-13 9-11 9-11 11-5 11-5
3rd: Alexandra Fuller (WP) bt Robyn Baptiste (N) 11-9 11-5 11-5
Under 16:2-Megan Page(N) bt 5-Hannelize Human (N) 11-5 11-7 11-9
3rd: Bronwyn Smithers (Midlands) bt Laura Buck (CG) 6-11 12-10 3-11 11-9 11-5
Under 16 B : Michele Ward (EP) bt Christine Adamson (EP) 11-6 8-11 3-11 13-11 13-11
Girls Under 14: Kacey-Leigh Dodd (EP) bt Tayla Victor (Border) 11-5 11-7 6-11 11-9
3rd : Makgosi Peloakogsi (N) bt Siobhan Hawyes (CG) 10-12 11-8 11-5 11-5
Boys:
Under 19 : 1- Wade Groenewald (E) bt 3-Jason Byrne (B) 11-3 5-11 11-6 8-11 11-2
3rd: Athan Page(N) bt Durandt Martin (Boland) 11-9 9-11 10-12 11-6 11-4
Under 16:5- Simphiwe Gqibani (CG) bt 3- Daniel Smith (Kzn) 11-6 6-11 11-9 11-9
3rd:Johan Thiel (EP) bt Ross Pretorius 12-10 11-5 11-8
Under 16 B:Thandi Mcamani bt Greg Butters (EP) 8-11 11-9 6-11 11-3 16-14
Under 14: 1-Aubrey Lawrence(Boland) bt 2-Andrew Fair (FS) 10-12 11-7 5-11 11-3 11-2
3rd Shailan Maharaj (Kzn ) bt J P van der Merwe 1-12 11-7 5-11 11-3 11-2
Under 14 B: Peter Brink (WP) bt Archie Nakana(EP) 11-1 12-10 11-4