Devoy and Norman top squash rankings

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 27

Devoy and Norman top squash rankings

As expected, the new world No. 2 man, Ross Norman, (Auckland), and the women’s world champion, Susan Devoy (Hamilton), head the New Zealand Squash Rackets Association’s national ranking lists tor 1985.

While Devoy had no real challenges for her top spot, Norman was pushed hard by another world-ranked player, Stuart Davenport (Wellington). But Norman won the two important contests on the domestic front — the Adidas national title and the Honda City New Zealand Open. Canterbury’s Paul Viggers, in Egypt for the world teams’ event, retains his position at No. 3 while his wife, Carolyn, has made the top 10 for the first time

Two other Canterbury players, Justine Marriott (No. 13) and Freda Walker (No. 16) are also nationally ranked. The biggest advances have been made by Stephen Cunningham (Bay of Plenty) and Rory Watt (Waikato). Cunningham has shot up from No. 14 to No. 8, and Watt has come from nowhere to be ranked No.

On the junior lists the features are the high placement of the youngsters, Glen Wilson (Wellington) and Lynora Hati (Bay of Plenty), both aged only 14. The rankings are (with last year’s placings in parenthesis):-

Senior men: R. Norman (Auck.) 1 (IX S. Davenport (Wgtn), 2 (2); P. Viggers (Canty), 3 (3); i. Mills (Wgtn), 4 (5X A. McMurtrie (Wait), 5 (6k D. McQueen (8.0. P. 6 (4k R. Hayes (Auck.) 7 (7k S. Cunningham (8.0 P. 8 (14k HLeabourn (Auck.), 9 (10k R. Watt (Waik.), 10 (-k D. Oakley (Wgtn), 11 (-k R- Wyatt (8.0. P. 12 (Ilk N. Barbour (Auck.), 13 (8k P. Wallace (Wgtn), 14 (-k J- Devoy (8.0. P. 15 (15k P- Devoy (Waik.), 16 (13).

Senior women: S. Devoy (Waik.), 1 (Ik R. Blackwood (Auck.), 2 (2k D. Gurran (Auck.), 3 (4k J. Oakley (Wgtn), 4 (8k J. Williams (Central), 5 (3k J. Burgess (Auck.), 6 (6k C. Te Kani (8.0. P. 7 (5k J. Webster (Auck.), 8 (Ilk C. Viggers (Canty), 9 (16k K. Collins (Auck.), 10 (10k P. Doddrell (Waik.), 11 (-k M. Pearson (Auck.), 12 (-k J. Marriott (Canty, 13 (-k D. Shaw (Nthland), 14 (-k J. Peed (Central), 15 (15k F. Walker (Canty), 16 (-).

Junior boys, Open: L Cooper (Wgtn) 1, G. Wilron (Wgtn) 2, & Hagan (Wgtn) 3, R. Bannister (Central 4, D. Nicholls (Wgtn) 5, G. Smith (Central) 6. Under--19: Cooper 1, Hagan 2, Bannister 3, Nicholls 4. Under-17: M. McSherry (Wgtn) 1, D. Dryden (Auck.) 2, M. Penman (Canty) 3, C. Fairbairn (Southern) 4. Under-15: Wilson 1, A. Clarke (Wgtn) 2, T. Franklin (Canty) 3, P. Steel (B.OJ».) 4. Under-13: M. Taylor (8.0 P. 1, D. Sharplin (Midlands) 2, P. Boyle (Auck.) 3, T. Wilson (Wgtn) 4. Junior girls, Open: D. Shaw (Northland) 1, M. Pearson (Auck.) 2, J. Marriott (Canty) 3, F. Townsend (Auck.) 4, L. Hati (8.0. P. 5, A. Chapman (8.0. P. 6. Under-19: Marriott 1, Chapman 2, L. Baird (Midlands) 3, S. Reid (Central) 4. Under-17: Shaw 1, Pearson 2, Townsend 3, S. Kearney (Auck.) 4. Under--15: Hati (8.0. P. 1, A. Toal (Wait) 2, N. Pearson (Central) 3, T. Jacobs (8.0. P. 4. Under--13: N. McGeowan (Auck.) 1, N. Cosgrieff (Southern) 2, P. Hibbs (Canty) 3, S. Wallace (8.0. P.