Squash | Luhann Groenewald And Dene Van Zyl Are Growthpoint SA Junior Squash Champions

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa: Luhann Groenewald and Dene van Zyl were crowned the country’s champions when another highly successful Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships came to a close at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday.

Dene van Zyl- of SA Country Districts, left, defeated Northerns opponent Chante Leppan 3-1 to win the girls’ U159title on the final day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday.

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After four days of intense competition, Van Zyl (SA Country Districts) saw off the challenge of her cousin, Chante Leppan of Northerns, 3-1 to take the women’s U19 title for the first time by going through the tournament unbeaten.

It was, she admitted, not easy playing against someone so close to you, but she knew she had to keep focused against her talented opponent.

“Chante is a really good player, so I had to work hard throughout, and my plan now is just to keep on training and working hard to improve my squash,” Van Zyl said.

Luhann Groenewald- of Northerns, right, in action here against Matthew Earl (Border), retained his U19 boys’ title on the final day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday.

Groenewald defended the men’s U19 crown he won for the first time last year, overcoming Connor Earl 3-0 in the deciding match, 11-4 11-7 11-9.

In the girls’ U17 division, Elzandri Janse van Rensburg was well tested by KwaZulu-Natal rival Makayla Naidoo, who had beaten her in last year’s Growthpoint Junior Nationals.

Elzandri Janse van Rensburg- of Northerns, right, defeated KwaZulu-Natal opponent Makayla Naidoo 3-0 to win the girls’ U17 title on the final day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday.  

In fact, Naidoo had the better start and was on the brink of clinching the first game 10-6 when she seemed to lose a bit of focus, allowing her opponent to fight back for a crucial lead.

Janse van Rensburg maintained that momentum, but Naidoo would not be denied, and she kept her hopes alive by taking the third game.

She then made a horror start to the fourth game and with Janse van Rensburg finding a better length, the Northerns player quickly established a big lead en route to a 12-10 11-6 8-11 11-1 victory.

“I’m very happy with that result after losing to Makayla last year and I just tried to stay focused throughout the game,” Janse van Rensburg said.

“My plan was just to try to play the ball to a good length and then push it short if I had the chance and I finally managed to get it right.”

In one of the closest matches of the day, former U15 boys’ champions Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) had to dig deep to subdue Western Province’s Thomas Boutall 8-11 13-11 11-9 11-3 to take the U17 crown.

Juan-Corne Brand- of Northerns, left, defeated Western Province opponent Thomas Boutall 3-1 to win the boys’ U17 title on the final day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday. 

Boutall had his opponent on the back foot early on and was poised for a 2-0 lead when he led 10-8 in the second.

But Brand showed great determination to level the match and then worked his opponent all around the court to edge ahead. Although the third game was also close, eventually the strain began to tell and the Northerns player was in full control by the end.

“I’m delighted to win this Growthpoint U17 title because this is the most prestigious tournament we play in and I look forward to it every year,” Brand said.

“Well done to Thomas – he played really well and has improved so much, so to find a way to win it in the end was very satisfying.”

Talented Eden player Christian Swanepoel successfully defended his boys’ U15 title with a 3-0 win over Northerns opponent Logan Kidson.

The defending champion was quick out of the blocks to win the first game comfortably and although Kidson put up a brave showing, he just could not find the extra gear to contain the top seed.

Eventually Swanepoel killed off the contest with a winning crosscourt drive to secure an 11-3 11-9 11-6 result.

Despite winning 3-0, Border’s Kate van Biljon had a nervy finish in her title-deciding match against Starla Phillips (Northerns) in the girls’ U15 section.

Kate van Biljon of Border-, right, defeated Northerns opponent Starla Phillips 3-0 to win the girls’ U15 title on the final day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Sunday.

Using her powerful drives to the back of the court, Van Biljon build up a handy 2-0 lead, but Phillips continued to challenge her and the third game went to 10-10. It could have gone either way, but eventually the Border star was able to find the right length to win 11-8 11-7 12-10.

“It feels really good to become the U15 Growthpoint champion as that was my goal coming into the tour,” she said.

“I was stressing a bit at the end because my shots were not going where I wanted them to, so I did get a bit nervous, but obviously happy in the end.”

Sunday’s results were:

Girls U15

Pool A: Kate van Biljon (Border) bt Starla Phillips (Northerns) 3-0 (11-8 11-7 12-10), Rylee Howells (KZN) bt Gemma Clark (Border) 3-2 (11-7 11-13 8-11 11-7 11-6)

Final placings: 1 Kate van Biljon (Border), 2 Starla Phillips (Northerns), 3 Rylee Howells (KZN), 4 Gemma Clark (Border)

Pool B, final placings: 1 Alyssa Arcangeli (Northerns), 2 Genevieve Lang (WP), 3 Mienke Stander (Winelands), 4 Kaylee Verster (Joburg Squash)

Girls U17

Pool A: Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) bt Makayla Naidoo (KZN) 3-1 (12-10 11-6 8-11 11-1), Brianna Robinson (Easterns) bt Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State) 3-0 (11-7 11-7 11-4

Final placings: 1 Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns), 2 Makayla Naidoo (KZN), 3 Brianna Robinson (Easterns), 4 Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State)

Pool B: Lia Viljoen (Winelands) bt Anushka Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) 3-2 (8-11 11-7 11-6 7-11 11-8)

Final placings: 1 Hanrie Duits (Eden), 2 Anushka Janse van Rensburg (Northerns), 3 Lia Viljoen (Winelands), 4 Ashley Smorfitt (KZN)

Women’s U19

Pool A: Dene van Zyl (SACD) bt Chante Leppan (Northerns) 3-1 (11-2 11-6 6-11 11-5), Ellana Chemaly-Sutherland (KZN) bt Bianke Pienaar (North West) 3-0 (11-7 11-5 11-5)

Final placings: 1 Dene van Zyl (SACD), 2 Ellana Chemaly-Sutherland (KZN), 3 Bianke Pienaar (North West), 4 Chante Leppan (Northerns)

Pool B: Cara Knott (Border) bt Alex Azevedo (WP) 3-0 (11-5 11-7 11-3)

Final placings: 1 Cara Knott (Border), 2 Alex Azevedo (WP), 3 Cailyn Nieuwoudt (WP), 4 Demi Senekal (Northerns)

Boys U15

Pool A: Christian Swanepoel (Eden) bt Logan Kidson (Northerns) 3-0 (11-3 11-9 11-6), Ross Smorfitt (Eden) bt Enre van Zyl (WP) 3-0 (11-3 11-8 11-9)

Final placings: 1 Christian Swanepoel (Eden), 2 Ross Smorfitt (Eden), 3 Logan Kidson (Northerns), 4 Enre van Zyl (WP)

Pool B, Final placings: 1 Joshua Edwards (Border), 2 Liam Hart (WP), 3 Rupert Good (WP), 4 Tom Hardman (KZN

Boys U17

Pool A: Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) bt Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-1 (8-11 13-11 11-9 11-3), Joel Rix (Winelands) bt Joseph Feast (WP) 3-0 (11-9 11-8 11-5)

Final placings: 1 Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns), 2 Thomas Boutall (WP), 3 Joel Rix (Winelands), 4 Joseph Feast (WP)

Pool B: Aiden McNeill (KZN) bt Dean Katzin (Free State) 3-1 (11-9 11-7 9-11 11-7)

Final placings: 1 Aiden McNeill (KZN), 2 Wian Fourie (Border), 3 Dean Katzin (Free State), 4 Benjamin Southwood (Northerns)

Men’s U19

Pool A: Luhann Groenewald (Northerns) bt Connor Earl 3-0 (11-4 11-7 11-9), Matthew Earl (Border) bt Devon Osborne 3-2 (4-11 11-8 6-11 12-10 11-7)

Final placings: 1 Luhann Groenewald (Northerns), 2 Connor Earl (Border), 3 Devon Osborne (WP), 4 Matthew Earl (Border)

Pool B: Judah Phillips (Northerns) bt Jan-Darius Smuts (Northerns) 3-1 (12-10 7-11 14-12 11-9)

Final placings: 1 Judah Phillips (Northerns), 2 Gary Chapman (Joburg Squash), 3 Jan-Darius Smuts (Northerns), 4 Louis le Riche (Winelands)

Photo credit: Petri Oeschger

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