Johannesburg, South Africa: Defending champions Cheyna Wood and Christo Potgieter of Joburg Squash will be going for a remarkable fourth title in a row when the Tswalu South African National Doubles Squash Championships take place in Johannesburg from Friday to Sunday (January 26-28).
But they are again preparing for a massive onslaught at Country Club Johannesburg as some of the country’s leading players line up to try to knock them off their perch.
Wood and Potgieter held off a courageous fightback from JP Brits (SACD) and Alex Fuller (WP) last year and the latter pairing will again be leading the contenders in the race for national glory.
Brits will be keen to mount a serious challenge because just under a year ago he was also the runner-up, with Potgieter, in the men’s doubles, losing to young challengers Damian Groenewald ( Northerns) and Tristen Worth (SACD).
But there are a host of other couples featuring South Africa’s national players who will also be eager to confirm their doubles credentials.
Hayley Ward (EP) will link up with Damian Groenewald and Alex Pienaar (SACD) joins forces with Worth, while a particularly dangerous couple will be siblings Lizelle Muller and Dewald van Niekerk both of SA Country Districts.
Van Niekerk has clearly established himself as the best singles player in the country and although Muller no longer competes at the top level, her shot-making skills and vast experience make her an opponent nobody can take lightly.
Potgieter, who relishes the demands of the doubles game, said they were under no illusions about the task which lay ahead.
“Doubles, to me, is still one of my favourite games because it’s a lot more strategic and not as physical as singles, and as you get older (he is now 36), you are still able to compete at a high level,” he said. “So, I am really looking forward to this weekend’s challenge, but it will be tough because there are lots of good players in the draw. “For example, Alex Fuller is the strongest women’s player, and the mixed game often comes down to how comfortable the woman is on the court. She’s very good at handling anything that comes her way, and with JP’s experience, they are a formidable combination. “And then there’s Hayley Ward, who has really improved in the last few years, and Damian Groenewald, two younger players who will be a big challenge, among a number of the other teams.”
Potgieter said doubles had been through an upward trend in South African squash in recent years, with players embracing the concept and learning to produce different strategies to improve their performances.
“It’s becoming much more popular, and you can see this in the way the game is reaching a higher level.”
The growth of the doubles game was confirmed by Squash SA president Kyle Potgieter, who paid tribute to Tswalu for their backing of the event “for 17 years and their continued support of this format”.
“We would really like to thank them in assisting us to grow the great game of doubles,” he said. “The support we have received from the players has once again exceeded our expectations in both the A and B Sections. “Squash South Africa wishes everyone a great tournament and, to all players, the very best in achieving gold.”
The women’s event will see Wood and Fuller pairing together to defend the title after a 2-0 win over Ward and Muller last year.
They will be strong favourites for the title, but Ward this time joins Kacey-Leigh Dodd (EP), with whom she previously won the South African title, while Muller links up with Sacha West (WP), and Jacqui Ryder and Jane Byrnes both of Eastern Province form one of the most talented and experienced couples in the women’s draw.
Brits, who has battled with a niggling injury, has not entered the men’s doubles where Groenewald and Worth face a different dynamic after playing fearless squash last year when they, essentially, had nothing to lose.
But Potgieter believes that being the defending champions puts a different complexion on things, with everyone gunning for you instead of the other way around.
Nonetheless, Groenewald and Worth are two of South African’s most exciting prospects and if they can handle the pressure, it could become two in a row for them.
Potgieter will play with Michael Wood (Joburg Squash), a talented player with great all-round experience, and nobody will write off their chances.
Also lurking in the draw will be the interesting pairing of Van Niekerk and Tyrone Dial (EP), who would like nothing better than to make a statement about their considerable skills this weekend.
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Caption:
Mixed doubles– 2023 mixed doubles winners of the Tswalu South African National Doubles Squash Championships played at the Johannesburg Country Club are from left Cheyna Wood and Christo Potgieter both of Joburg Squash.
Photo credits: Reg Caldecott
Media contact:
Bruce Davidson
+27 83 212 2401
Siya Cele
+27 78 128 0706
This media release was sent out on behalf of Squash South Africa by BLD Communications.