Squash organisers decide series prizes

Press, 15 May 1987, Page 21

Squash organisers decide series prizes

Nine thousand dollars in prize-money will be shared out between the top eight men and women on the 1987 Moro tournament players squash series, the 12-event Grand Prix circuit from this month to July. Details of the sponsorships were finalised this week between the New Zealand Squash Rackets Association and the series backer, Cadbury Chocolate. Instead of having grand finals the prize-money will be divided up on the basis of finishing positions at the end of the series. The pointswinners will receive $l5OO cheques with the rest of the prize-money allocated as follows: $lOOO, second place; $7OO, third; $5OO, fourth; $3OO, fifth; $2OO, sixth; $175, seventh; $125, eighth. This share-out is in addition to the

prize-money paid at each of the 12 tournaments. Meanwhile the Moro series will continue this week-end with the third tournament event, the Bay of Plenty championships at Rotorua. The battle for supremacy in New Zealand men’s domestic squash between Stephen Cunningham (College Rifles) and Rory Watt (Hamilton) will add interest to the tournament. In the womens section the absence of Susan Devoy for exhibition matches in Perth should clear the way for a Joanne Williams-Donna Gurran final. In the Hawke’s Bay-Gis-borne Open at Hastings last week-end Watt turned the tables on Cunningham with a 9-6, 9-2, 10-8 win while Devoy beat Gurran in the women’s final, 9-3, 7-9, 9-5, 9-5.

Progress points: Men: R. Watt (Hamilton) and S. Cunningham (College Rifles), 72 points, equal 1; R. Wyatt (Geyser City), 57, 3; R. Espie (Tauranga), 47, 4; B. Aitken (Hamilton), 40, 5; L. Cooper (Ponsonby), 33, 6; J. Oakley (Henderson), 32, 7; N. Lloyd (Burnside), 32, 8; D. McQueen (Geyser City), 31, 9; G. Wilson (Royal Oak), 29, 10. Also, B. Michelson (Sumner), 27. 12. Women: S. Devoy (Henderson), 74,1; D. Gurran (Remuera), 68, 2; J. Peed (Taihape), 52, 3; C. Laing (Kawaroa), 49, 4; J. Williams (Eden Epsom), 35, 5; M. Pearson (Titirangi), 31, 6; J. Burgess (Remuera), and K. Reichenbach (Gisborne H. 5.0.8.), 29, equal 7; C. Te Kani (Geyser City) and D. Walsh (Havelock), 27, equal 9.