TIAAN van Wyk has been crowned Zululand squash champion after a fast and gruelling game against Stephen Sissison, which Van Wyk won 3-1 in the finals at the Empangeni Country Club on Wednesday evening.
Sissison came out firing and dominated the first game, playing sensational squash roll over Van Wyk 15-3.
At this stage all the money was obviously on Sissison.
But keeping his cool, Van Wyk rallied to even the odds by taking the second game 15-10.
In the third Sissison’s fitness appeared to become an issue as too many mistakes crept in, handing his opponent the game at 15-7.
Facing a make-or-break scenario, Sissison kept his hopes alive and serving at 13-14, the game could still have gone either way.
But Van Wyk pumped the return of serve into the back corner which was non-returnable and he sealed the deal, clenching the game at 15-13 and the crown.
‘It was very hot and humid and after the first five points my legs were like jelly. I had to motivate myself for every point. Steve had a great game and he is a tough opponent,’ said Van Wyk afterwards.
‘The game was very entertaining and nerve-wracking as they both play the same game. But Tiaan’s fitness pulled him through,’ said Sissison’s mother Erika.
In an early game, Andrew Marx beat Gawie Swart 3-1 to win the plate final.
