High stakes in squash titles

Press, 3 April 1980, Page 28

High stakes in squash titles

By

TIM DUNBAR

Two prizes of return air fares across the Tasman will be big incentives for the 32 men and 16 women competitors in the Siazenger New Zealand under-23 squash championships at the Christchurch club over Easter.

Both the men’s and the women’s championship winners will receive a trip to an Australian state championship — probably the Queensland event. The top men’s seed and defending champion, Rod Hayes, took advantage of this prize last year to travel to Brisbane and add the Queensland under-23 title to his New Zealand crown.

He was in sparkling form | to win the Christchurch pre-j season open recently and‘ will be particularly keen to; win this week-end’s tourna-i ment, because it is his last | year in the age-group. The Canterbury man’s.' main opposition is likely to I come from the talented 1 national junior champion, Paul Viggers (Hawke’s Bay), who has received the second seeding. Viggers is a fine attacking player capable of extending Hayes. He made the quarter-finals of the; Spanish Open during his recent European campaign.

Placed in third and fourth spots ' are the Aucklander Shane Smith, and the Central Districts player, Andrew Sinclair. Other potential qu arte r-finalists include

Canterbury’s improving Craig Hibbert, the hard-hit-ting Kevin Hannan, and his fellow Wellingtonian, David Oakley.

| The favourite to win the [women’s section is the title- [ holder, Annette Owen (Auckland), who provides an exciting brand of squash for spectators.. ' Her likely opponent is the 1978 champion and runnerup last year, Robyn Blackwood (Auckland)j who is a fine player at her best.' The other leading seeds are the national girls’ junior champion, Karen -Lever (Bay of Plenty), Sheryl Clarke (Central), and Otago’s Joanne Milne.

Even with some of the top players in the province competing 15km away,/the or-

iganisers of the Marine Tavern Surimer open have still managed to attract a strong draw.

i The men’s draw, in parjticular, looks very solid with [the top four seeds being ißryan Simpson, Barrie MatI thews, Lawrence Skurr, and [Don Preston. Simpson, run-ner-up to Hayes in two tournaments this season, will hope for a title this time. Top ranked of the 12 players in the women’s open draw is Merle Holland, with Kate Carpinter (dinner of the pre-season open), Joan Terrell, and Gwen Cowie (Otago) filling the other leading spots.

Semi-finals will be held late on Saturday afternoon and the finals on Sunday.