WP’s Fuller leads women’s charge, Men’s champion Van Niekerk eases into last four

Herman Gibbs|Published 6 months ago

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 09: Damian Groenewald in his match against Reuel Videler during day one of the Growthpoint SA Squash Nationals 2024 at V&A Waterfront on August 09. | GALLO IMAGES

Sports Reporter

IN A fitting acknowledgement of Women’s Day, top seed and hometown favourite Alex Fuller led the surge of the women’s top seeds into the semifinals as the Growthpoint SA Nationals Squash Championships made an exciting start in Cape Town yesterday.

ALEX Fuller in her match against Kimberley McDonald during day one of the Growthpoint SA Squash Nationals 2024 at V&A Waterfront on August 09. | GALLO IMAGES

The 30-year-old Fuller, who retired from the professional tour last year, set the pattern for the day with the opening match of the programme at the V&A Waterfront, easing past No 6 Kimberley McDonald of Pretoria in three games.

She was followed into the last four of the women’s draw by No 2 Hayley Ward (Eastern Province), third seed Alexa Pienaar (SA Country Districts) and No 4 Teagan Russell of Joburg Squash.

With a career-high pro ranking of 22, the experienced Fuller said she was able to overcome the early-tournament nerves by adapting to the conditions of the iconic all-glass court erected in the Waterfront Mall.

“In the first match of any tournament, there are always a few nerves, but I feel I have figured out how to play on this court, so I really enjoyed the match and am happy with how it went,” said the winner of the 2020 and 2022 Growthpoint national titles.

Yet the firm favourite for another title is not taking anything for granted.

“Having played mostly overseas for the last decade, I don’t know the players that well in terms of how they have been training or what to expect from them,” Fuller said.

“So there is a huge amount of respect for all the players in the field and I know I have to treat them all the same and really focus on each match.”

Today will be moving day for the women’s field and the second-seeded Ward will be aiming to build on a promising start after she outgunned Northerns teenager Awande Malinga.

At 19, Malinga is the youngest player in the women’s field and she is an exciting talent who will learn from this exposure to the best players in the land.

She couldn’t quite settle down against the rock-steady Gqeberha star, who went some way to banishing memories of her first-round loss a year ago.

Ward’s aim, she said, was to concentrate on the basics.

“It was a case of hitting a good length and then taking it short when I had the chance, because that can be rewarding in these court conditions,” the 26-year-old said.

“So I’m really happy with my first-round effort.”

In a bid to develop her game, Ward has travelled abroad several times to play in PSA tournaments this year and appreciated the exposure she has received. She won her first overseas title in the Brussels Open in June.

“It has been a good experience and I have been focusing on trying to enjoy my squash this year and to enjoy competing.

“Winning my first overseas PSA tournament was a special, especially because my dad, who works in Germany, was able to be there for the event.

“It was good to see some top squash from players from around the world and to compete well with them.”

In the other women’s matches, Pienaar was too controlled for the 35-year-old Milnay Louw (WP), using an effective short game to win 3-0, while Russell outplayed Free State’s Amy Greyvenstein, also in three games.

The men were not forgotten on the opening day and there were a few intense battles on yesterday’s programme.

The most notable was an epic third game between No 4 Christo Potgieter (Joburg Squash) and fifth seed Northerns player Ruan Olivier.

Olivier seemed to have it in control at 2-0 and 10-8 up, but two errors allowed Potgieter to draw level and that was followed by a sensational shootout.

Both players pulled off some superb winners, but finally, Olivier took it 23-21 on his seventh match point after Potgieter had let six game points get away from him.

Unusually for him, three-time defending Growthpoint champion Dewald van Niekerk dropped a game against SA Country Districts teammate Jonty Matthys but was quickly back in control to win 3-1.

Van Niekerk was on the verge of a 2-0 cushion when he led 10-7, but Matthys dug deep to level it at 10-10 and then won the next two points.

However, he expended a good deal of energy in doing so, and normal service soon resumed as Van Niekerk seized back the initiative.

Second seed Damian Groenewald (Northerns) also lost a game against SACD’s Reuel Videler, but he, too, was able to outgun his opponent when it came to the crunch for a 3-1 win.

Yesterday’s results were:

Women:

1-Alex Fuller (Western Province) bt 6-Kimberley McDonald (Northerns) 3-0 (11-4 11-4 11-6); 2-Hayley Ward (Eastern Province) bt 7-Awande Malinga (Northerns) 3-0 (11-4 11-4 11-7); 3-Alexa Pienaar (SA Country Districts) bt 6-Milnay Louw (Western Province) 3-0 (11-7 11-4 11-5); 4-Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash) bt 8-Amy Greyvenstein (Free State) 3-0 (11-6 11-1 11-7)

Men:

1-Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts) bt 8-Jonty Matthys (SA Country Districts) 3-1 (11-4 10-12 11-5 11-3); 2-Damian Groenewald (Northerns) bt 7-Reuel Videler (SA Country Districts) 3-1 (11-2 11-7 8-11 11-6); 3-JP Brits (SA Country Districts) bt 6-Mighael Lombard (Western Province) 3-0 (11-3 11-5 11-5); 5-Ruan Olivier (Northerns) bt 4-Christo Potgieter (Joburg Squash) 3-0 (11-5 11-5 23-21)

Today’s order of play:

Women:

2pm: 2-Hayley Ward (Eastern Province) v 3-Alexa Pienaar (SA Country Districts); 3pm: 1-Alex Fuller (Western Province) v 4-Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash)

Men:

2.30pm: 2-Damian Groenewald (Northerns) v 3-JP Brits (SA Country Districts); 3.30pm: 1-Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts) v 5-Ruan Olivier (Northerns).