Top squash youngsters tackle Mpumalanga Junior Open
There were various age groups and divisions, allowing for diverse competition.
Some of the top young squash talent in the northern parts of our country took to the courts in Mbombela and White River for the 2025 Mpumalanga Junior Open.
No fewer than 62 players took part this year with matches played over three days, stretching from Friday January 24 to Sunday January 26.
With various age groups and divisions at play in the tournament, matches were split between Nelspruit Squash Club and White River Squash Club.
The senior boys A and B (U16 to U19), as well as the girls A matches, were played in Mbombela, while the junior boys (U11 and U13) and the girls B matches were played in White River. Matches were contested based on the traditional 11-point system in a best-of-five games format.
Matches kicked off on Friday afternoon with girls A and senior boys A matches at Nelspruit Squash Club. The top four boys seeds were granted a bye for the first day while the top six girls seeds enjoyed a bye. Friday’s matches also helped determine who would be competing in which division for the remainder of the weekend.
Once things really kicked into gear on the second day of the tournament, the young squash stars offered up some exhilarating squash action for spectators to enjoy. Even in matches that were won 3-0 or 3-1, there was little separating opponents as each player fought tooth and nail for every point.
In the senior boys A division it was second-seed Eduard van Niekerk who caused an upset on the final day by defeating top-seed Emsley Lloyd, 3-0, to take home first place overall and in the U19 boys age group. Emsley was second overall and in the U19 boys age group.
In the girls A division top-seed Sherique Crafford emerged victorious, courtesy of a tight 3-2 win over sixth-seed Hannah-Ray Kritzinger, also placing first overall and in the U19 girls age group, while Hannah-Ray finished as the top U16 girls player.
The top players in all of the age groups were:
U11 girls:
1. Khadeejah Cassim
2. Robyn Coetzee
3. Lehutso Maleka
U11 boys:
1. Zac Esterhuizen
2. Tiago Serradinho
3. Charles Malatji
U13 girls:
1. Charmony Opperman
2. Kalika Breetzke
U13 boys:
1. Eduan Lotter
2. Melo Baloyi
3. Carsten Musica
U14 girls:
1. Alexandra Knott
2. Marina Cussons
U16 girls:
1. Hannah-Ray Kritzinger
2. Kayla Treu-Viljoen
3. Maryam Cassim
U16 boys:
1. Mohale Malatji
2. Ude van Veenhuyzen
3. Joshua Crafford
U19 girls:
1. Sherique Crafford
2. Tyla Longuera
3. Fatimah Cassim
U19 boys:
1. Eduard van Niekerk
2. Emsley Lloyd
3. Jovan van Vuuren
