Bruce Brownlee heads N.Z. squash rankings

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 35

Bruce Brownlee heads N.Z. squash rankings

Bruce Brownlee, the Rotorua player who was prematurely forced out of squash through medical advice in September, heads the 1981 New Zealand men’s rankings. Brownlee, aged 26. retained his world No. 6 spot this year and beat Ross Norman for the national title after 75min of absorbing squash. Norman, who is ranked No. 2, has incidentally been seeded eighth for the world open championships which begin in Toronto on November 29. Third on the list is the immensely talented Stuart Davenport who has just left for four months in Europe with a sizeable New Zealand Sports Foundation grant in his pocket. Davenport, aged 19, will have a tough encounter first-.up; he meets the former British amateur champion, Gamal Awad (Egypt), in the first round of the world open. There is likely to be a little more debate about the women’s rankings also released recently by the national selectors (Messrs Murray Isaacs and Shane O’Dwyer, and Mrs Trish Lee). Annette Owen, the national champion, has beaten off a challenge for the top position by her fellow Aucklander, Robyn Blackwood, who played some brilliant squash in the latter part of the season. Miss Blackwood was promoted to No. 1 in the New Zealand team which finished third in the women’s world championships in Canada recently. The only Canterbury player named is the South Island men’s champion, Rod Hayes, who retains his sixth ranking of 1980. However, Mark Crosbie is the No. 6 junior in the open standings while Susan Wasley and Justine Marriott are respectively rated third in the under-17 and under-15 junior girls lists. The full list of rankings (with last year’s in parenthesis) are:— MEN Bruce Brownlee (8.0. P. (1) 1; Ross Norman (Auck.), (2) 2; Stuart Davenport (HB-Gis.), (5) 3: Craig Blackwood (Auck.), (4) 4; Neven Barbour (Auck.). (3) 5; Rod Hayes (Cant.), (6) 6; Paul Viggers (HB-Gis.),. (7) 7; Dean Lovett (Waik.), (8) 8: Wayne Rowlands (HB-Gis.). (11) 9; John Mills (Wtn). (—) 10; David Oakley (Wtn), (9) 11; Andrew Sinclair (Wtn). (14) 12; Shane Smith (Auck.). (13) 13. lan Borley (Waik.), (—) 14; Tony Naughton (Wtn). (12)15; Mark Smith"-(Wtn); - (-) 16. WOMEN Annette Owen (Auck.). (2) 1;

Robyn Blackwood (Auck.), (4) 2; Susan Devoy (8.0. P. (7) 3; Joanne Milne (Sthn), (6) 4; Jenny Webster (Auck.), (1) 5; Karen Lever (B.O:P.), (5) 6; Pam Guy. (8.0. P. (3) 7; Sheryl Clarke (Cent.), (10) 8; Katie Leaboum (Auck.), (—) 9; Donna Gurran (8.0. P. (11) 10; Sharon Taylor (Auck.), (13) 11; Kay Glenny (Wtn), (12) 12; Cheryl Butler (8.0. P. (15) 13; Jocelyn Afford (Wtn), (-) 14; Linda McClure (Wtn), (—) 15; Jillian Oakley (Wtn), (-) 16. JUNIOR Boys:— Stuart Davenport (HBGis.), 1; John Mills (Wtn), 2: Antony McMurtrie (Waik.), 3; Scott Harrison (Auck.), 4; Danny McQueen (8.0. P. 5; Mark Crosbie (Cant.), 6. Girls:— Susan Devoy (8.0. P. 1; Donna Gurran (8.0. P. 2; Debbie Kelsall (Auck.), 3; Jillian Oakley (Wtn.), 4; Julie Keen (Waik.), 5; Stephanie Young (Auck.), 6.

UNDgR-19 Bovs:— S. Davenport (HB-Gis.), 1; J. Mills (Wtn), 2; A. McMurtrie (Waik.), 3; S. Harrison (Auck.), 4. Girls:- S. Devoy (8.0. P. 1; D. Gurran (8.0. P. 2; D. Kelsall (Auck.), 3; J. Oakley (Wtn.), 4. UNDER-17 Boys:— D. McQueen (8.0. P. 1; R. Wyatt (8.0. P. 2; S. Cunningham (Waik.), 3; P. Cahill (Auck.), 4. Girls:— A. Bennett (Auck.), 1; T. Mandel (Wtn), 2; S. Wasley (Cant.), 3; T. Baldwin (Nel.), 4: UNDER-15 Boys:- S. Hunter (8.0. P. 1; S. Wilson (8.0. P. .2; S. Hagan (Wtn). 3; B. McLeod (Auck.), 4. Girls:— A. Chapman (8.0. P. 1; L. Baker (8.0. P. 2; J. Marriott (Cant.), 3; V. Winterburn (Wtn.), 4. UNDER-13 Boys:— R. Clarke (Auck.), 1; D. Tobin (Auck.), 2; D. Rolls (Cent.), 3; M. Weston (Nel.), 4. Girls:— H. Benner (8.0. P. 1; T. Phillips (Cent.), 2; D. Shaw (Nthld), 3; M. Pearson (Auck.), 4.