Squash | McDonald Steals The Show In Growthpoint Squash Nationals Opener

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa: In an event where there are no easy matches, seventh seed Kim McDonald registered the first surprise result when she eliminated No 2 Alexa Pienaar on the opening day of the Growthpoint SA Nationals squash championships in Cape Town on Thursday.

Ashton Burger- Eastern Province player and fifth seed Ashton Burger reaches for a short ball during his 3-2 win over No 4 seed Milton Posthumus of Western Province on the opening day of the Growthpoint SA Nationals squash championships at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Thursday. Burger won 11-4 9-11 6-11 11-9 12-10.

Second seed Alexa Pienaar upset by Northerns rival

The Northerns player, a qualified doctor who is currently working at a clinic in Siteki in Eswatini, won 3-0 with a high-octane display against a difficult opponent who just could not settle into a rhythm on the day.

In other action, top seeds Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts) and Hayley Ward (Eastern Province) led a parade of the remaining favourites into the semifinals.

Ward had to keep her concentration in the third game against a competitive Helena Hudson (Northerns) but came through 11-4 11-5 11-8, while Van Niekerk, aiming for a record fifth title in a row, saw off the challenge of SA Country Districts colleague Luke van Vuuren 11-2 11-2 11-5.

The 29-year-old McDonald has competed regularly against her SA Country Districts rival and always knew she would be in for a proper examination.

"We have had some really good matches in the past and I know that Alexa is a fierce competitor who can be difficult to read in the front of the court," she said. "When you play her, you have to make sure your belief is high that you can manage her game.

"I knew I just had to take my chances when I got them because the court can be quite dead at the front and I concentrated on that, as well as mixing it up with keeping a good length."

Given her current location, the former Pretoria-based player said she had no great expectations coming into the event.

"At the moment I get some squash in over the weekends and do some trail running to keep sane, but to come here and to get a win is something that I will treasure."

She has now earned a shot at defending champion Alex Commins of Western Province, who was all business as usual in dismantling the challenge of young Northerns opponent Lara Patrick in three games.

In the men's event, 19-year-old Luhann Groenewald, a two-time U19 Growthpoint champion, made a successful debut in the senior division with a hard-earned 3-0 over fifth seed Reuel Videler.

The Northerns teenager was the U19 winner in 2023 and 2024 and is now enjoying a tournament where he is not the favourite to win.

"That takes a bit of pressure off, and I just aim to go out and give it my best against Dewald tomorrow," he said.

"I was happy with the way I played today, although I fell off a bit in the last game before coming back. But I'll take that win and I look forward to the next challenge."

The match of the day in the U15 division was undoubtedly the boys' showdown between Western Province fourth seed Milton Posthumus and No 5 Ashton Burger of Eastern Province.

In a roller-coaster of a clash, neither player managed to take complete control, although there was plenty of spirit as they each threatened fightbacks during an epic battle.

First it was Posthumus who came close to pulling off the win when, leading 2-1, he shrugged off four game points at 10-5 down in the fourth to draw within a few points of victory at 10-9 before his opponent made it 2-2 by taking the next point.

It seemed, however, that it would not matter for Posthumus because he quickly established control in the deciding fifth game and stood on the verge of victory at 10-4 up.

That's when Burger decided that he was not ready to give up. In sensational fashion, he dug deep, pulling off some winning shots and keeping his opponent under pressure to reel off the next eight points for an incredible recovery and a 3-2 victory.

"I just decided that I wasn't going to give in, and I just concentrated on winning the next point," Burger said afterwards. "It was a matter of not looking too far ahead and just keeping my concentration."

The victory earned Burger a spot in the top four, along with another EP player in Liam Fehrsen, the top seed in the boys' U15 section. He got his tournament off to a flying start when he outgunned promising Free State player George Hung, aged only 12, in three games.

KwaZulu-Natal's Rylee Howells, seeded one, comfortably took her spot in the girls' top four with a 3-0 win over Eden's Hanja Gildenhuys in the day's opening match.

Thursday's results were

Seniors

Women

1-Hayley Ward (EP) bt 8-Helena Hudson (Northerns) 3-0 (11-4 11-5 11-8), 7-Kim McDonald (Northerns) bt 2-Alexa Pienaar (SACD) 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-7), 3-Alex Commins (WP) bt 6-Lara Patrick (Northerns) 3-0 (11-3 11-3 11-4), 4-Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash) bt 5-Shelomi Truter (SACD) 3-1 (11-13 11-9 11-1 11-9).

Men

1-Dewald van Niekerk (SACD) bt 3-0 (11-2 11-2 11-5), 8-Luke van Vuuren (SACD), 2-Damian Groenewald (Northerns) bt 7-Jonty Matthys (SACD) 3-0 (11-3 12-10 11-3), 3-JP Brits (SACD) bt 6-John Anderson (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-9 6-11 11-8 11-3), 4-Luhann Groenewald (Northerns) bt 5-Reuel Videler (SACD) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-9).

U15

Girls

1-Rylee Howells (KZN) bt 8-Hanja Gildenhuys (Eden) 3-0 (11-6 11-1 11-2), 2-Alyssa Arcangeli (Northerns) bt 7-Mienke Stander (Boland) 3-1 (11-0 11-9 8-11 11-4), 3-Genevieve Lang (WP) bt 6-Nhlalala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-0 (11-2 11-3 11-2), 4-Jasmaine Rust (Free State) bt Fatima Packery (EP) 3-0 (1-5 11-1 11-8).

Boys

1-Liam Fehrsen (EP) bt George Hung (Free State) 3-0 (11-4 11-3 11-3), 2-Codey Abrahams (Eden) bt 7-Jeremy John (KZN) 3-1 (11-9 7-11 11-3 13-11), 6-Zander Smit (Boland) bt 3-Tiaan Goosen (Northerns) 3-0 (11-1 11-9 11-3), 5-Ashton Burger (EP) bt 4-Milton Posthumus (WP) 3-2 (11-4 9-11 6-11 11-9 12-10).

Picture credit: Petri Oeschger/Gallo Images