Squash Rackets Rankings Are Confusing

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30284, 9 November 1963, Page 9

Squash Rackets Rankings Are Confusing

fTHE task of naming in A order the top ten men for the 1963 season must have proved extremely difficult for the national squash rackets selectors. The injury early in the inter-island match and the disappointing performances of J. S. Walker at the New Zealand championships, and the non-appearance at the national meeting of T. C. Johnston must have added to the difficulties. But even allowing for these problems, the selectors appear to have followed a most inconsistent course when the new rankings are compared with the composition of the New Zealand team for its tour of Australia and the seedings for the national championships. Walker was selected ahead of Johnston for the touring team—Johnston was the reserve—and last year was ranked in eighth position with Johnston, then the junior champion, No. 6. Both have improved their [positions, but the toursit is still behind Johnston at No. 6 this year. In the top four positions are C. R. Waugh and G. L. Bird, followed by I. T. Easton and K. R. Green Bird this season has clearly established himself as second only to the national

ped one place, as has Green. Of narticular interest is the rating of Green ahead of both Walker and Johnston, three places ahead of the Christchurch champion M. J. Simons with the other top local player, G. A Davidson, next. Green appears to be a little lucky in retaining such a high ranking. He was a national semi- finalist—Walker lost in the first round but Johnston did not compete—and he beat Easton in the inter-island match. Yet he lost to both Walker (four Games) and

Johnston (three) in this fixture. He also lost to Easton in the Cousins Shield final, when the shield had been won and the championship events had yet to be played. Green established himself as superior to Davidson, who has advanced two places, but he lost to Simons in the Canterbury championshipsand was selected below him in the South Island team. Both lost to Waugh in the New Zealand event, but Simons secured a game from the champion Green was also unable to beat Bird in tournament play, which Simons achieved in three games in the southern Cousins Shield final. It was also of interest to recall that Simons was seeded fifth behind the New Zealand team, with Green No. 7 for the national titles Davidson was the sixth seeded player. There is probably still little between Green, Simons and David-

son. but it seems difficult to justify Green’s position ahead of Walker and Johnston. Another feature of the new rankings is the complete omission of L. T. O’Neill (Hamilton), rated fifth last year. O’Neill could not win a match in the inter-island fixture and was possibly lucky to be selected ahead of G. Haddon who is ranked No. 10. O’Neill is the only player ranked last year who has not gained a place on the new list, while Simons is the only newcomer.