From seasoned professionals to some of the country’s best young players, the Growthpoint SA Nationals squash tournament is set for a cracking finale in Pretoria this week from Thursday to Saturday (October 15 to 17).

A field of 16, eight women and eight men, will contest the showcase section of the event on the all-glass court at the Brooklyn Mall following the eight regional playoffs around the country at the weekend.

After the lengthy break caused by Covid-19, the sport announced its return in emphatic fashion as the Squash SA innovation to introduce regional qualifying events proved a huge success.

A total of 436 players were competing at the different hubs over the weekend.

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Now it comes down to the business end of the championships, with men’s defending champion JP Brits in line to target his second Nationals title.

But it wasn’t plain sailing for the top seed in the Northerns hub as he was made to work hard for his 3-1 victory over Andrew Martin in Sunday’s final.

Sadly, women’s champion Milnay Louw had to withdraw from the qualifiers because of a back injury, which has installed Western Province winner Alex Fuller as one of the leading contenders for the title.

The players to qualify for the Nationals main event are (regional hub in brackets):

Women: Lizelle Muller (EP), Hayley Ward (Free State), Jacqui Ryder (Joburg Squash), Samantha Herbert (KZN), Teagan Roux (Midlands), Farrah Sterne (Northerns), Danell Douglas (North West), Alex Fuller (WP).

Men: Rudi van Niekerk (EP), Ruan Olivier (Free State), Rodney Durbach (Joburg Squash), Matthew Boote (KZN), Christo Potgieter (Midlands), JP Brits (Northerns), Dewald van Niekerk (North West), Mighael Lombard (WP).

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Meanwhile, title sponsors Growthpoint are excited about hosting another event in one of their shopping malls when the Nationals resume on Thursday in Pretoria.

The all-glass court has introduced a new dimension to the venues traditionally used by squash and the capacity to set it up in any suitable location outside of the normal centers has broadened the exposure of the sport and established the diversity of Growthpoint’s shopping malls.

“Squash really caught our attention through this ability to host events inside our shopping centers,” said Growthpoint head of marketing Nadine Kuzmanich.

She remarked that the mobile glass court, which has been setup in Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria and the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, has proven to be a great success in amplifying the profile of the sport and to introduce new people to squash.

“We also believe it provides value to our tenants and partners,” Kuzmanich concluded.

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