Squash | Top Seeds Poised To Strike In Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Finale

Saturday, 17 August 2024 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa: Top seeds Dene van Zyl and Luhann Groenewald have put themselves in prime position to be crowned champions but know that they still must finish the job when the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships draw to a close in Cape Town on Sunday.

Ellana Chemaly-Sutherland- of KwaZulu-Natal, right, plays a backhand during her match against Chante Leppan of Northerns in the U19 division on the third day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday. Chemaly-Sutherland won 3-1. 

Glory beckons in last round at Cape Town V&A Waterfront

Playing on the penultimate day at the V&A Waterfront all-glass court on Saturday, the U19 players preserved their unbeaten records and now face one more hurdle in their bid for glory.

They will lead a host of promising contenders on the final day of the champs as players in the U15 and U17 age-groups also aim for the top of the podium.

Van Zyl (SA Country Districts) did not have it all her own way on Saturday as North West’s Bianke Pienaar put up spirited resistance to win the second game 15-13, levelling the match at 1-1.

But the top seed got her game back on track as she swept through the next two games for the loss of just seven points.

Ellana Chemaly-Sutherland (KZN) kept herself in the hunt, shrugging off the loss of the first game to score a good 3-1 win over Northerns player Chante Leppan.

Luhann Groenewald- of Northerns, right, plays a forearm during his match against Devon Osborne of Western Province in the U19 division on the third day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday. Groenewald won 3-0. 

Groenewald (Northerns) has been in a class of his own in the men’s U19 section, having not dropped a game yet, and despite a spirited effort by Western Province’s Devon Osborne, he coasted to a 3-0 win.

He will face Connor Earl, from East London but now studying in Pretoria, in the deciding match on Sunday. Earl beat his twin brother Matthew 3-0 on Saturday.

Thomas Boutall- of Western Province, right, plays a backhand during his match against Joseph Feast, also Western Province, in the U17 division on the third day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday. Boutall won 3-1. 

In the girls’ U17 division, Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) and Makayla Naidoo (KwaZulu-Natal) will fight it out for the top spot, while Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) will be looking to finish strongly in the boys’ decider.

He will come up against Western Province’s Thomas Boutall, who survived a strong challenge from provincial colleague Joseph Feast to win in four games.

Starla Phillips of Northerns-, right, plays a forearm during her match against Rylee Howells of KwaZulu-Natal in the U15 division on the third day of the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Squash Championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday. Phillips won 3-0.

Border’s Kate van Biljon, after finishing third last year, is ready to make the step up this time in the U15 girls but will have a tough encounter against Northerns rival Starla Phillips after they both eased past their opponents on Saturday.

In the boys’ division, defending champion Christian Swanepoel (Eden) is the player to beat and only Logan Kidson (Northerns) stands between him and another title in Sunday’s finale.

Saturday’s results were:

Girls U15

Pool A: Kate van Biljon (Border) bt Gemma Clark (Border) 3-0 (11-1 11-3 11-3), Starla Phillips (Northerns) bt Rylee Howells (KZN) 3-0 (11-3 11-5 11-3)

Pool B: Mienke Stander (Winelands) bt Kaylee Verster (Joburg Squash) 3-2 (11-6 7-11 8-11 11-9 11-9), Alyssa Arcangeli (Northerns) bt Genevieve Lang (WP) 3-1 (11-5 10-12 11-7 11-3)

Girls U17

Pool A: Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) bt Brianna Robinson (Easterns) 3-0 (11-5 11-8 11-6), Makayla Naidoo (KZN) bt Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State) 3-0 (11-7 11-7 11-4)

Women’s U19

Pool A: Dene van Zyl (SACD) bt Bianke Pienaar (Northwest) 3-1 (11-6 13-15 11-5 11-2), Ellena Chemaly-Sutherland (KZN) bt Chante Leppan (Northerns) 3-1 (4-11 11-6 11-5 11-7)

Pool B: Cara Knott (Border) bt Demi Senekal (Northerns) 3-0 (11-4 11-3 11-1), Alex Azevedo (WP) bt Cailyn Nieuwoudt (WP) 3-1 (11-7 9-11 11-7 13-11)

Boys U15

Pool A: Christian Swanepoel (Eden) bt Ross Smorfitt (Eden) 3-0 (11-8 11-5 11-6), Logan Kidson (Northerns) bt Enre van Zyl (WP) 3-0 (11-5 11-6 11-8)

Pool B: Liam Hart (WP) bt Rupert Good (WP) 3-0 (11-6 11-9 11-6), Joshua Edwards (Border) bt Tom Hardman (KZN) 3-0 (11-5 11-2 11-7)

Boys U17

Pool A: Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) bt Joel Rix (Winelands) 3-0 (11-7 11-1 11-5), Thomas Boutall (WP) bt Joseph Feast (WP) 3-1 (11-9 13-11 2-11 11-2)

Men’s U19

Pool A: Luhann Groenewald (Northerns) bt Devon Osborne (WP) 3-0 (11-4 11-6 11-8), Connor Earl (Border) bt Matthew Earl (Border) 3-0 (1109 11-3 15-13)

Pool B: Judah Phillips (Northerns) bt Gary Chapman (Joburg Squash) 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-6)

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