Late sport N.Z. squash player reaches third round

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 6

Late sport N.Z. squash player reaches third round

NZPA London The top New Zealand squash professional, Bruce Brownlee, was safely through to the third round of the British open championships yesterday. All four New Zealanders in the prestigious tournament came safely through the first round — Brownlee having the easiest time with an uncontested walkover. In his second round match at the Wembley courts yesterday, Brownlee — ranked seventh in the world — beat Britain’s Kim Bruce-Lockhart who had come through the qualifying rounds for the championship. Brownlee took time to settle down, winning the first game 10-9, the second 9-4, and dropping the third 4-9. The Rotorua player came back strongly however to take the decider 9-4.

A fellow professional, Murray Lilley, had a first round victory- of 9-6, 10-8, 6-9, 9-6 over the South African, Selwyn Machet, and faces the up-and-coming young British professional, Gawain Briars, in the second round. Craig Blackwood was struggling for his first round win over a British qualifier, Paul Wright, but eventually came out ahead 9-10, 7-9, 9-3, 10-8, 10-8. Blackwood’s tournament may come to an end in his second round match when he faces the No. 4 seed Hiddy Jahan—one of the top Pakistanis in world squash.

The Pakistan dominance also ended the tournament

chances of New Zealand’s most junior player. Robin Espie came into the tournament proper through the qualifying rounds and had a convincing win over the Australian, John Catchpole, in the first round, winning 9-7, 9-4. 10-8. But in the second round last evening he came up against the No. 3 seed, Mohibullah Khan, and after putting up a valiant struggle in the first game, succumbed to the inevitable to lose 8-10, 0-9, 1-9.

Brownlee will play another Pakistani, the thirteenth seed. Mohamed Yasin, in the third round, and barring an upset will face Mohibullah Khan in the quarterfinals tomorrow—a repeat of last year’s quarter-final pairing. In that game he put up an enormous battle before going down 1-9, 5-9. 9-2, 7-9, but the New Zealander haa beaten Khan since that timd and will go into the quarterfinals this year with more confidence.