Squash | Fuller, Van Niekerk Headline Growthpoint Squash Finals Field

Dewald van Niekerk: Dewald van Niekerk, of SA Country Districts, will be chasing his fourth straight men's title at the Growthpoint SA Nationals tournament after qualifying for the finals at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from August 9 to 11. Van Niekerk defeated Eastern Province's Gerard Mitchell in the final of the Eastern Province regional qualifier in Gqeberha at the weekend.

Wednesday, 12 June 2024

Thrilling battles as players fight for spots in V&A Waterfront, Cape Town showdown

Johannesburg, South Africa: Former holder Alex Fuller and three-time champion Dewald van Niekerk will headline a high-profile field for the Growthpoint South African Nationals squash tournament in August following this weekend’s regional qualifiers.

Squash South Africa’s premier domestic individual event will come to a fascinating conclusion in Cape Town from August 9 to 11 when the country’s top eight men and women gather at the V&A Waterfront to battle for national honours on the iconic all-glass court.

While the annual events around the country to decide the final list threw up some regular contenders, there were also several thrilling matches as South Africa’s best players chased a spot in the Cape Town showdown.

Van Niekerk of SA Country Districts, who is gunning for a fourth straight Growthpoint national title, led the field in the Eastern Province leg and was highly impressive during the weekend, finally subduing an energetic Gerard Mitchell (Eastern Province) in the decider 3-0 (11-4 11-7 12-10).

Although the top seed was mostly in control, Mitchell fought with great spirit to push his opponent to 10-10 in the third game before Van Niekerk clinched the final two points.

Alex Fuller: Western Province's Alex Fuller will be looking to regain the Growthpoint SA National women's squash title after qualifying for the finals at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from August 9 to 11. Fuller defeated WP's Siyoli Waters in the final of the Western Province regional qualifier in Cape Town at the weekend.

In Cape Town, Western Province’s Alex Fuller showed she has lost little of her skill as she defeated Siyoli Waters (WP) in the final 3-0 (11-1 11-5 11-6).

Fuller retired from the professional circuit last year but will remain a strong contender to add to the Growthpoint national titles she won in 2020 and 2022.

The sparks flew in the men’s event in Cape Town in an all-WP showdown between Ian Oosthuizen and Mighael Lombard, who last played in the SA Nationals in 2020.

Oosthuizen was dominant early on, taking the first two games, before Lombard used all his experience to stay in the hunt by edging the third game in a titanic 15-13 battle, and eventually clinching the fifth game 11-9.

There was an equally epic decider in the Northwest leg in Potchefstroom when Reuel Videler secured his place in the Growthpoint SA Nationals for the first time by outduelling SA Country Districts teammate Gareth Craigen.

This also went the full distance, and it was touch and go in the deciding fifth game before Videler finally sealed it 14-12.

The final field is littered with former champions.

Besides Fuller, Milnay Louw (WP) will feature again after being the women’s champion from 2017 to 2019, while senior statesmen Christo Potgieter, from Joburg Squash, who won in 2020 and has featured in all the finals since then, and 2019 champion JP Brits (SACD) showed they remain formidable competitors at the top level in SA.      

The Growthpoint SA Nationals qualifiers are:

Women: Alex Fuller (WP), Amy Greyvenstein (Free State), Milnay Louw (WP), Awande Malinga (Northerns), Kimberley McDonald (Northerns), Alexa Pienaar (SACD), Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash), Hayley Ward (EP).

Men: JP Brits (SACD), Damian Groenewald (Northerns), Mighael Lombard (WP), Jonty Matthys (SACD), Ruan Olivier (Northerns), Christo Potgieter (Joburg Squash), Dewald van Niekerk (SACD), Reuel Videler (SACD).

The Growthpoint Regional qualifiers final results were:

Eastern Province: Women: 1 Hayley Ward (EP), 2 Jacqui Ryder (EP); men: Dewald van Niekerk (SACD) bt Gerard Mitchell (EP) 3-0 (11-4 11-7 12-10)

Northerns: Women: Awande Malinga (Northerns) bt Jordin Phillips (Northerns) 3-0 (11-7 11-3 11-3); men: Damian Groenewald (Northerns) bt Connor Earl (Border) 3-0 (11-3 11-6 11-8)

Western Province: women: Alex Fuller (WP) bt Siyoli Waters (WP) 3-0 (11-1 11-5 11-6); men: Mighael Lombard (WP) bt Ian Oosthuizen (WP) 3-2 (6-11 7-11 15-13 11-3 11-9)

KZN: men: Jonty Matthys (SACD) bt Daryn Pieters (KZN Midlands) 3-0 (14-12 11-7 11-9)

Kwaberg: women: 1 Kimberley McDonald (Northerns), 2 Janice Harmse (Joburg Squash)

Northwest: women: 1 Alexa Pienaar (SACD), 2 Lisa Venter (Northwest); men: Reuel Videler (SACD) bt Gareth Craigen (SACD) 3-2 (8-11 13-11 11-5 11-13 14-12)

Boland: women: 1 Milnay Louw (WP), 2 Danell Douglas (EP); men: JP Brits (SACD) bt Devon Osborne (WP) 3-0 (11-1 11-3 11-2)

Joburg Squash: women: 1 Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash), 2 Michele van Zyl (Joburg Squash); men: Christo Potgieter (Joburg Squash) bt Luke Jacoby (Joburg Squash) 3-0 (11-7 11-7 11-2)

Free State: women: Amy Greyvenstein (Free State) bt Mariska McDonald (Free State) 3-1 (11-4 4-11 12-10 11-8); men: Ruan Olivier (Northerns) bt Tremayne McDonald (Free State) 3-0 (11-6 11-6 11-1)

Photo Credit: Petri Oeschger

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