Joburg squash crowned men’s interprovincial champs
Joburg Squash became the Growthpoint interprovincial men’s squash champions in a dramatic finale against SA Country Districts as the title race went down to the wire at the Brooklyn Mall on October 23.
The Gauteng side claimed the Jarvis Cup trophy with a 16-9 win over the defending champions, a result all the more creditable as they were without their number one Growthpoint SA Nationals champion, Christo Potgieter, who was injured.
In the women’s battle for the Kaplan Cup, holders SACD kept their nerve in a tense final encounter against Northerns A, winning 17-10 to take the title for the second year in a row. There was nothing to choose between the sides in the men’s decider and after four matches, each team had won two.
That left it to a straight shootout between the number twos, Dewald van Niekerk (SACD) and Devon Hendrikse.
Van Niekerk looked on course for victory when he won the third game 11-6 for a 2-1 lead, but Hendrikse fashioned a terrific recovery under immense pressure to take the match 3-2, and the title.
Joburg Squash ended the tournament on 93 points, ahead of SACD on 81.
The women’s decider was well-contested, with two of the five matches going the full distance. Helena Coetzee won one of them for Northerns at number two against Danell Douglas, but SACD took the second one through Cara Fourie.
The champions wrapped things up through wins by Lizelle Muller and Keschia Scorgie to crown another successful week of interprovincial squash.
At number five, Lara Patrick continued an excellent tournament for Northerns A by winning her clash against Madonje Engelbrecht 3-1.
