Four Top Seeds Win Squash

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30543, 11 September 1964, Page 13

Four Top Seeds Win Squash

(From Our Own Reporter) AUCKLAND, September 10. The first four seeded players qualified for the men’s championship semifinals in the New Zealand squash rackets championships today.

G. L. Bird (Timaru) again hit some magnificent shots to beat J. S. Walker in 24 minutes. W. Deans was untroubled by K. R. Green, and T. C. Johnston eliminated the veteran, I. T. Easton. But C. R. Waugh, the defending champion, became involved in a hard struggle before he accounted for P. Dibley. The only player in New Zealand to have beaten Waugh this season, Johnston could seriously trouble the title-holder in tomorrow’s semi-final, but Bird, in his present form, seems certain to reach his second successive final. Fit, Consistent Dibley, for three games, looked well in the match against Waugh, but the champion proved too fit and consistent in the end. Dibley took time to settle down but he played some fine angled drops and killed several on the backhand very firmly, to take the second game. He led, 8-6, in the next, and a big risk failed when he called short at eightall. In the fourth game Dibley at once made mistakes, and could not try for some drops when wrong-footed. Waugh played many short once

Dibley’s weariness became obvious. Johnston was very accurate at times against Easton, and a feature was his ability to find the nick quite frequently. Easton tried for delicate touch throughout, but Johnston now mixes the pace for his drive well and often replied to an Easton drop shot with one superior. Green was not sufficiently match hardened to give Deacon the slightest trouble, and Walker looked out-classed by Bird. Bird started superbly, concentrating well, and driving with tremendous pace. Walker hardly saw front court position in a first game of only four minutes, and while he offered sterner resistance later he could make no impression. Results: Men's Championship.—Quar-ter-finals: C. Waugh (Palmerston North), beat P. Dibley (Remuera), 9-0, 5-9, 9-8. 9-0; T. Johnston (Palmerston North) beat I. Easton (Hamilton). 9 4, 7-9, 9-3, 9-5; W. Deacon (Henderson) beat K. Green (Mitchell Park), 9-2, 9-4, 9-4; G. Bird (Timaru) beat J. Walker (Hamilton), 9-1, 9-4, 9-4. Women’s Championship—Semifinals: Mrs D, Deacon (Henderson) beat Miss M. Meldrum (Palmerston North), 9-0, 9-5, 9-3; Mrs M. Waugh (Palmerston North) beat Miss V. Fladgat* (Hamilton), 9-3, 9-3, 9-2. Men’s B Grade.—Semi-finals: P. O’Connor (Henderson) beat K. Mackwell (Hamilton), 9-3, 7-9, 4-9, 9-7, 9-6: D. Cotter (Remuera) beat N. Rykers (Henderson), 9-2, 5-9, 9-1, 9-3.