Bird Top Squash Challenger

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30235, 13 September 1963, Page 6

Bird Top Squash Challenger

A first class field —as usual limited to 32—has been assembled for the men s A grade championship in the New Zealand squash rackets titles which begin in Christchurch today. Competition will be extremely keen and of even standard from the opening round. But the finalist in the top haif of the draw seems almost certain to be the defending champion C. R. Waugh, for his defeat by any player other than G. L. Bird would certainly be the biggest upset in national squash for many years.

Waugh, Bird. J. S. Walker end I. T. Easton IHamikoo), the first four seedings, and M. J. Simons (Christchurch) seeded next. Who toured privately, have just returned from Australia. The New Zealand team left this country on August 17. Since then it has played almost

daily, and has met some of th; finest of present-day amateurs. It cannot fail to have benefited in ability and fitness from this intensive programme. and there will be great interest in the tourists’ form this week-end.

Simons, second player in the South Island team this season, is making his first bid for the national title. He is a little unlucky in that he will probably play Waugh in a quarter-final, for while he would have some chance against any of the other seeded players, Simons will need to have greatly improved his game to upset the champion. Bird, brilliant—but until this season completely unpredictable—seems the only one equipped with the shots needed to beat Waugh, who appreciates Bird’s potential perhaps more than anyone. If they meet in the final it could be one of the greatest

matches New Zealand squash has known. But Bird will have to maintain from his first game the improved concentration and sounder tactical sense that he has shown this season. For instance, a bad lapse against G. A. Davidson could prove fatal. Success in this quarter - final would probably mean another meeting of Bird and Easton, and while most of their matches have gone the full five games. Bird has not beaten Easton for several seasons. Walker, the third seeded player, will have to beat K. R. Green, of Timaru (No. 7), to qualify to meet Waugh in a semi-final. Easton could well find himself in some difficulty .from the start, for he is drawn to meet J. N. Isaacs. This youngster from Timaru shows great potential and is particularly fit. He reached his best form of the season early this month in the South

Canterbury titles, eliminating F. N. Coe and ail but beating Green. Isaacs might find Easton a little too experienced, but this first-round encounter could be a tournament highlight Walker’s match against P. L. Mackenzie, and the meeting of G. Haddon (Wellington) and L. G. Milne are other firstround matches of particular interest. At the end of the Australian tour, Waugh took one game from K, C. Hiscoe, the world amateur champion, an outstanding achievement. Bird has played particularly well throughout A final between Waugh and Bird is what most enthusiasts hoped for in Hamilton and Palmerston North in 1961 and 1962. Bird went down in an early round at Hamilton; he just failed to beat Easton last year, in the semi-finals. Perhaps Christchurch may be more fortunate. -