Potchefstroom, North West
6-10 July 2015
Spearheaded by 3 of the world’s top 20 men’s squash players – Egypt’s Karim Abdel Gawad (14), South African Steve Coppinger (17) and Australian Cameron Pilley (19), more than 200 of South Africa’s top squash players will be seen in action in Potchefstroom from Monday 6th until Friday 10th July when the annual Laser Jarvis Kaplan Cup Interprovincial Squash Championships will be played.
Emma Beddoes of England, ranked in the World’s top 15 women’s players, together with Denmark’s Line Hansen (24) and South African Siyoli Waters (34) will ensure that the women’s Kaplan Cup will also provide some top notch squash.
In the Men’s Jarvis Cup Western Province will be looking for a fourth consecutive win and a sixth victory since 2005. With the same line-up as in 2014 – Pilley, Shaun le Roux, ranked 42 in the world, Clinton Leeuw, Rodney Durbach and Zuko Kubukeli, Western Province could well engrave their names on the trophy again. Seeded second Kwazulu Natal, which last won the title in 2011, sees Coppinger supported by Laurens Jan Anjema of the Netherlands ranked 33 in the world, Gary Wheadon, Andrew Martin and the experienced Adrian Hansen. Slipping in at the number 3 slot, Central Gauteng is capable of surprising the top 2 seeds.
England’s Eddie Charlton will have the Young Turks Thoboki Mohohlo, Michael Wood, Devon Hendrickse and Rudi Willemse in his corner. However it is the fourth seeds, SACD, appearing for only the second time in the A section, which could provide all the upsets. Ranked 14 in the world Karim Abdel Gawad, JP Brits, Christo Potgieter, Jimmy Schlebusch and former Eastern Province player Rudi van Niekerk, if on form, could all upset the higher seeded teams.
Two teams Western Province and Central Gauteng have dominated the women’s A section for the past decade. Western Province captured the title for three consecutive years from 2005 but since then the title has swopped provinces annually with Central Gauteng victorious in 2014. On paper Western Province’s lineup of Hansen, Waters, 2015 National champion Alexandra Fuller, Sacha West and Karen Schultz should edge through. But Beddoes, Cheyna Tucker, twins Elani and Lume Landman and Adel Weir could rise to the occasion and defend their title.
The Men’s division sees 4 sections with two in the women’s. The Men’s A and D, the Women’s A and B play a round robin while the Men’s B and C sections sees the 8 teams divided into 2 pools with crossover play-offs followed by positional play-offs.
Three venues: Defence, Potchefstroom Country Club and Potchefstroom University courts will be used. The Men’s A, Men’s B and Women’s A sections will be played at the Defence courts while the Men’s C, D and Women’s B sections will be seen in action at the Country Club and University courts.
