Top Seeds Proceed to Next Round in Growthpoint Squash Nationals on First Day

Cape Town – It was a fierce contest from start to finish, showcasing impressive squash and determined challenges, but the top players eventually triumphed on the first day of the Growthpoint SA Senior Nationals squash championships in Cape Town on Thursday.

Competing on the all-glass court at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront, top seeds Hayley Ward (Eastern Province) and Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts) paved their way into the semifinals set for Friday.

The day was filled with closely contested matches, marked by the return of former champions Lizelle Muller (2021) and Milnay Louw (2017 and 2019), while Van Niekerk began his quest for an unprecedented sixth consecutive Growthpoint men’s title.

Nerves were palpable in the beginning, but players gradually steadied themselves, especially during the opening match where Muller, Van Niekerk’s elder sister, made a solid return to the tournament against Lara Patrick.

The Northerns’ sixth seed proved capable of capitalizing on any loose ball, showcasing several moments of brilliance to keep her third-seeded opponent under pressure as she secured the first game 12-10.

However, Muller’s extensive experience became a decisive factor.

She steadily improved her performance from the second game onward, dominating the center of the court and punishing any errors, ultimately achieving a comfortable 3-1 victory.

After the match, the mother of four expressed her joy at returning to the Growthpoint Nationals, having last played in the tournament in 2022.

“It’s always wonderful to be back at Growthpoint Nationals – I’ve missed it over the past few years, and it’s fantastic to return,”  Muller remarked.

“I didn’t get much training in last year, but I managed to get back into it amidst my family obligations, and I truly enjoyed the Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan interprovincial tournament last month in Mossel Bay.”

Despite her experience, Muller confessed to feeling some nerves before hitting the court.

“Playing the first match is always nerve-wracking, and Lara played well and went for her shots, so I’m just relieved I could pull it back to win 3-1. I hope the nerves will settle down by tomorrow.”

Muller is set to face No 2 seed Helena Hudson in the semifinals on Friday, following Hudson’s 3-0 victory over Keschia Schlebusch (SACD).

In another closely contested match, fourth seed Alexa Pienaar (SACD) made impressive comebacks against WP’s fifth seed Louw, overcoming 10-4 and 10-8 deficits in the first two games to take a 2-0 lead.

Louw managed to claw back, but Pienaar eventually closed out the match in four games, despite missing three match points.

In the men’s bracket, young third seed Luhann Groenewald (Northerns) set up a semifinal confrontation with his older brother Damian after overcoming a tough challenge from 2019 champion JP Brits.

The tournament’s veteran brought his wealth of experience and attacking style, quickly taking the opening game 11-4 with a barrage of winners.

However, 20-year-old Groenewald, who employs a rarely seen double-handed technique, demonstrated remarkable resilience.

His time at Drexel University in the United States has also enhanced his capacity to navigate such challenges.

“It was a very tough match, as JP is my coach and an exceptionally skilled player,” Groenewald explained.

“He started off brilliantly, playing at a high pace and taking the ball short.

“But my brother advised me to keep getting the ball past him and stay strong, which I managed to do in the end, and I’m thrilled to progress to the next round.”

In the girls’ U15 Growthpoint Nationals, concurrently taking place, Western Province’s seventh seed Aakiefah Taliep caused an upset by recovering from losing the first game to defeat second seed Kimeya Moonisami of KwaZulu-Natal.

Moonisami appeared to be in control in the first game, allowing just three points, but Taliep fiercely responded and captured the next three games for a hard-fought four-game victory.

This was just one of the many hotly contested matches within the girls’ section.

Third seed Simi Shwababa (Border) faced a tough challenge from Eastern Province’s Janel Hall before managing to win 11-9 in the fifth game, while No 4 seed Mia Bakkes (Northerns) had to rally from 2-0 down against Western Province’s fifth seed Jenna-Leith Wyllie to secure a narrow victory in the deciding game 12-10.

Thursday’s results were:

Seniors: Women

1-Hayley Ward (EP) bt 8-Kim McDonald (WP) 3-0 (11-9 11-8 11-7), 2-Helena Hudson (Northerns) bt 7-Keschia Schlebusch (SA Country Districts) 3-0 (11-7 11-7 12-10), 3-Lizelle Muller (SA Country Districts) bt 6-Lara Patrick (Northerns) 3-1 (10-12 11-2 11-7 11-4), 4-Alexa Pienaar (SA Country Districts) bt 5-Milnay Louw (WP) 3-1 (12-10 12-10 7-11 11-9),

Seniors: Men

1-Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts) bt 8-Reuel Videler (SA Country Districts) 3-0 (11-6 11-9 11-3), 2-Damian Groenewald (Northerns) bt 7-Judah Phillips (Northerns) 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-6), 3-Luhann Groenewald (Northerns) bt 6-JP Brits (SA Country Districts) 3-1 (4-11 11-3 11-4 11-9), 4-John Anderson (Joburg Squash) bt 5-Dean Venter (EP) 3-0 (11-7 11-4 11-4),

U15: Girls qualifying round

1-Chanel Leppan (Northerns) bt 8-Kaitlin Saayman (Free State) 3-0 (11-5 11-6 11-2), 4-Mia Bakkes (Northerns) bt 5-Jenna-Leigh Wyllie (WP) 3-2 (9-11 9-11 11-9 11-3 12-10), 3-Simi Shwababa (Border) bt 6-Janel Hall (EP) 3-2 (13-11 6-11 9-11 11-9 11-9), 7-Aakiefah Taliep (WP) bt 2-Kimeya Moonisami (KZN) 3-1 (3-11 11-9 11-4 11-8).  

U15: Boys qualifying round

1-Ponatshego Molefe (Joburg Squash) bt 8-Emile Erasmus (Northerns) 3-1 (11-6 11-4 6-11 11-6), 4-Zander Smit (Boland) bt 5-George Hung (Free State) 3-2 (11-3 11-13 11-0 7-11 11-5), 3-Zayd Badroodien (WP) bt 6-Keeran Morrison (EP) 3-0 (11-6 11-9 11-5), 2-Rupert Good (WP) bt 7-Phethahatso Motsoeneng (Limpopo) 3-0 (11-4 11-8 11-4).

The post Growthpoint Squash Nationals: Leading Seeds Survive Opening Day appeared first on The Bulrushes.