Boland’s Van Niekerk Shines at Growthpoint Nationals Opening Event

Cape Town – In an unexpected turn of events, Boland’s Malherbe van Niekerk pulled off the sole upset of the day as the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships kicked off at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Thursday.

The competitions for the U17 and U19 categories are taking place on the all-glass court at Makers Landing from Thursday to Saturday, while the Senior Nationals and U15 divisions are slated for August 28 to 30.

Seeded sixth in the boys’ U17 category, Van Niekerk triumphed over third seed Aiden McNeill from KwaZulu-Natal, who battled rigorously throughout a challenging five-game match.

After splitting the first four games, the contest culminated in a decisive final game, where Van Niekerk established an early advantage through remarkable shot-making, including a winning boast and a precise drop, to lead 9-6.

Shortly thereafter, he reached match point and sealed his victory with a well-placed drive to the back of the court, progressing to the top four.

The winners from Thursday’s matchups will advance to pool A for a round-robin format on Friday and Saturday, while the players who lost will enter pool B.

The girls’ U17 bracket also featured an exhilarating competition, with Border’s Kate van Biljon facing a tough challenge from Vivienne van der Schyff of Free State.

Fourth seed Van Biljon secured the first game 11-8 against fifth seed Van der Schyff; however, the latter responded strongly in the second game, matching the scoreline.

The match remained fiercely contested, as both competitors exchanged points; Van Biljon managed to seize a vital lead by winning the third game, also 11-8.

As they vied for supremacy, the Border player reached her first match point but misfired a lob out of bounds, leading to a tiebreaker at 10-10.

In a critical moment, another error from Van der Schyff allowed Van Biljon her second match point, which she capitalized on to conclude an exciting duel.

In addition to these two matches, the day showcased numerous captivating clashes as players competed for a spot among the top four.

Although the top seeds encountered obstacles, they ultimately found their rhythm, affirming their standings.

For instance, Northerns’ Judah Phillips, the U19 No. 1, faced a tough challenge from Boland’s Anrieg Small in the opening game but emerged victorious at 11-9. He quickly found his stride, giving away only six more points.

Similarly, Christian Swanepoel, the boys’ No. 1 seed from Eden, had to work hard in his first game but ultimately bested Milan Raffa of Northerns 11-9. He then asserted dominance by taking the second 11-7 and sealed the third, allowing just four points.

The results from the qualifying rounds were:

U17

Girls: 1-Makayla Naidoo (KZN) defeated 8-Amelia Lubbe (Northerns) 3-0 (11-3 11-4 11-5), 2-Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) defeated 7-Hanrie Duits (Eden) 3-0 (11-7 11-4 11-6), 3-Starla Phillips (Northerns) defeated 6-Tara Neville-Smyly (WP) 3-0 (11-2 11-6 11-4), 4-Kate van Biljon (Border) defeated 5-Vivienne van der Schyff (Free State) 3-1 (11-8 8-11 11-8 12-10).

Boys: 1-Christian Swanepoel (Eden) defeated 8-Milan Raffa (Northerns) 3-0 (11-9 11-7 11-4), 2-Dean Katzin (Free State) defeated Logan Kidson (Northerns) 3-0 (11-7 11-8 11-7), 6-Malherbe van Niekerk (Boland) defeated 3-Aiden McNeill (KZN) 3-2 (11-5 9-11 11-4 7-11 11-6), 4-Dylan Keswell (WP) defeated 5-Luke Goldschmidt (EP) 3-0 (11-2 11-5 11-2).

U19

Women: 1-Dene van Zyl (Boland) defeated 8-Katelyn Walland (EP) 3-0 (11-8 11-2 11-4), 2-Chante Leppan (Northerns) defeated 7-Benedette van Tonder (Free State) 3-0 (11-0 11-1 11-4), 3-Brianna Robinson (Easterns) defeated 6-Marlene van Wyk (Boland) 3-0 (11-7 11-4 11-1), 4-Cevana Naidoo (KZN) vs. 5-Lucy Malherbe (WP).

Men: 1-Judah Phillips (Northerns) defeated 8-Anrieg Small (Boland) 3-0 (11-9 11-1 11-5), 2-Thomas Boutall (WP) defeated 7-Heinu van Jaarsveld (Joburg Squash) 3-0 (11-3 11-3 11-3), 3-Louis le Riche (Boland) defeated Nicholas Basson (WP) 3-0 (11-9 11-4 11-6), 4-Benji Newman (EP) defeated 5-Ruvay Ramdhin (KZN) 3-0 (11-9 11-6 11-5).