Hayes, Simpson share squash

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 10

Hayes, Simpson share squash

Revenge was sweet for Bryan Simpson when he met the South Island champion. Rod Hayes, in the final of the Motueka open squash tournament at the weekend.

Simpson, now playing for the Thorndon club in ’ Wellington, made a last-minute decision to contest this tournament and proceeded to upset his 1981 Canterbury team-mate in a 50-min final. He won, 10-9. 10-8. 4-9, 9-5. A week earlier the mini summer squash circuit had begun with the Nelson Nikolai open and there Hayes had narrowly triumphed over Simpson, 9-2, 4-9. 8-10. 9-0, 10-8. Simpson was afterwards rueing missed opportunities after having led 5-0 in the last and then held a match ball at 8-5.

At Motueka Simpson was in tremendous retrieving form and the warm courts were giving him a better chance of picking up Hayes' near nicks. Hayes held game balls in both the first and second games and easily won the third, but made far too many unforced errors in the fourth though he threatened a comeback with five points in one hand after trailing, 0-7. Nevertheless, the two tournaments gave Hayes valuable match practice before leaving for the overseas squash circuit in Europe.

His loss at Motueka actually nrecluded the Christchurch club

from securing a clean sweep in the first three men's divisions. Fred Williams, in a gutsy performance. came from two sets down to take Mike Munro in the division two final while his clubmate. Graeme Armishaw won division three. Gary Monk (Linwood) won the division one plate. A Wellington player. Lyn Sweeney (Scottish Harriers), beat Maureen Gibbons (Nelson) in a four-game final to the women's division one with Diana Jones

taking the special plate and Karen Williams the classic plate. The division two men's plate was won by Linwood's Wayne Bisset over Bill McKenna (Lancaster Park). In the Nelson tournament Merle Holland (Sumner) convincingly won the women's division one.’ completing the round-robin with a straight games win over Heather Derness, a Wanganui Agrader. Mrs Holland showed a lovely touch with her drops and boast's.

Hayes had a long semi-final, taking five sets to beat a former Canterbury man. Barrie Matthews (Otaki). while Simpson beat Paul McFadzien (Hamilton). 3-1, in his match.

The men's division three final was a triumph for Christchurch's Frank Young (the "Beijing Bomber") who comfortably overcame Bisset. Sumner's John Hampton was the winner of the men's division two special plate.