Champions crowned at Growthpoint SA National Junior Squash Champs
Dené van Zyl and Judah Phillips were crowned the u19 women’s and men’s champions when the Growthpoint SA National Junior Squash Championships came to an exciting conclusion at the V&A Waterfront, in Cape Town, on Saturday.
Playing on the all-glass court at Makers Landing, Van Zyl retained her title with a relatively comfortable 3-0 win over her cousin from Northerns, Chanté Leppan, to finish her career in the junior ranks in a satisfying fashion.
She went through the tournament unbeaten and fully deserved the title despite a spirited effort by Leppan in the last match.
Down 5-10 in the third game, Leppan forced it to a 10-10 tiebreaker before Van Zyl closed out the match 11-5 11-7 12-10.
Men’s top seed Judah Phillips, of Northerns, showed similar control in winning the national title for the first time. He met Western Province’s Thomas Boutall in the title decider after both went unbeaten in the lead-up to final.
It was a good contest, but it was Phillips who dictated most of the play, leading to a convincing 11-6 11-5 11-5 victory.
In one of the matches of the tournament, Free State’s Dean Katzin called on his deepest reserves of energy and determination to outlast Eden player Christian Swanepoel in a gruelling five games to take the boys’ u17 title.
It was a rare defeat for Swanepoel in the Growthpoint Junior Nationals as he had won the u15 title the previous two years. He showed his ability and sheer grit in a humdinger of a match which saw Katzin stand on the verge of victory when he had three match points in the third game.
But Swanepoel has not achieved his elevated status without demonstrating a dogged character and he turned the tables on his opponent to win the next five points to stay in the match, taking the game 12-10.
Remarkably, St Andrew’s School‘s Katzin regrouped in spirited fashion and opened up a 5-1 lead in the final game. But Swanepoel was not done. He levelled at 5-5 before Katzin was able to force a crucial three-point lead. Eventually, he was able to outmanoeuvre his opponent on his fifth match point after a tremendous display by both players.
Afterwards Katzin was at a loss to explain how he managed to come back in the fifth game: “It’s amazing to win the title and I really don’t know how I managed to come back in the fifth,“ he said.
“But I’m just very proud to be the champion and I would like to thank so many people who have helped me on this journey.“
In the girls’ u17 final, Northerns’ star Elzandri Janse van Rensburg retained her title with a controlled display of power to outduel her longtime rival Makayla Naidoo, of KZN, 11-9 11-7 11-7.
The left-handed champion was lethal on the attack, pouncing on anything loose with a series of penetrating drives to the back of the court, which Naidoo was unable to return.
On occasions, Janse van Rensburg showed deft touches in the front of the court, and although Naidoo fought back with courage to take a lead in the third game, the Northerns player reimposed her pattern of play to take the title.
“I sometimes struggle with the conditions on the all-glass court, but I felt I played well today,“ Janse van Rensburg said.
“Makayla and I have been playing each other for a long time, and we always have close games, so you are never quite sure who is going to win. But I’m happy to take the win today.“
RESULTS
Girls’ u17
Pool A: Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) bt Makayla Naidoo (KZN) 3-0 (11-9 11-7 11-7), Starla Phillips (Northerns) bt Kate van Biljon (Border) 3-0 (11-6 11-4 12-10).
Final positions: 1 Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns,) 2 Makayla Naidoo (KZN), 3 Starla Phillips (Northerns), 4 Kate van Biljon (Border).
Pool B: Tara Neville-Smyly (WP) bt Amelia Lubbe (Northerns) 3-0 (11-3 11-3 11-8), Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State) bt Hanrie Duits (Eden) 3-1 (11-4 3-11 12-10 11-7).
Final positions: 1 Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State), 2 Hanrie Duits (Eden), 3 Tara Neville-Smyly (WP), 4 Amelia Lubbe (Northerns)
Boys’ u17
Pool A: Dean Katzin (Free State bt Christian Swanepoel (Eden) 3-2 (11-6 11-9 10-12 5-11 11-7), Malherbe van Niekerk (Boland) bt Dylan Keswell (WP) 3-1 (11-8 11-5 5-11 11-5).
Final positions: 1 Dean Katzin (Free State), 2 Christian Swanepoel (Eden), 3 Malherbe van Niekerk (Boland), 4 Dylan Keswell (WP).
Pool B: Logan Kidson (Northerns) bt Aiden McNeill (KZN) 3-2 (9-11 14-16 11-8 11-5 11-5). Milan Raffa (Northerns) bt Luke Goldschmidt (EP) bt 3-1 (11-4 11-8 9-11 11-1).
Final positions: 1 Milan Raffa (Northerns), 2 Logan Kidson (Northerns), 3 Luke Goldschmidt (EP), 4 Aiden McNeill (KZN).
Women u19
Pool A: Dené van Zyl (Boland) Chante Leppan (Northerns) 3-0 (11-5 11-7 12-10), Brianna Robinson (Easterns) bt Cevana Naidoo (KZN) 3-0 (11-6 11-4 11-2).
Final positions: 1 Dené van Zyl (Boland), 2 Brianna Robinson (Easterns), 3 Chante Leppan (Northerns), 4 Cevana Naidoo (KZN)
Pool B: Marlene van Wyk (Boland) bt Katelyn Walland (EP) 3-1 (10-12 11-8 11-4 11-5),
Lucy Malherbe (WP) bt Benedette van Tonder (Free State) 3-0 (11-4 11-2 11-7)
Final positions: 1 Lucy Malherbe (WP), 2 Marlene van Wyk (Boland), 3 Benedette van Tonder (Free State), 4 Katelyn Walland (EP).
Men u19
Pool A: Judah Phillips (Northerns) bt Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-5), Louis le Riche (Boland) bt Benji Newman (EP) 3-1 (11-6 7-11 11-8 11-5).
Final positions: 1 Judah Phillips (Northerns), 2 Thomas Boutall (WP), 3 Louis le Riche (Boland), 4 Benji Newman (EP).
Pool B: Anrieg Small (Boland) bt Heinu van Jaarsveld (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-6 11-8 4-11 11-8), Ruvay Ramdhin (KZN) bt Nicholas Basson (WP) 3-1 (4-11 12-10 11-7 12-10).
Final positions: 1 Ruvay Ramdhin (KZN), 2 Nicholas Basson (WP), 3 Anrieg Small (Boland), 4 Heinu van Jaarsveld (Joburg Squash).
