Quarterfinals NMMU tourney boasts tomorrow of top-ranked players Nodefa event
AFTER a slow start, NMMU have lined up a strong field for their squash tournament, sponsored by Brian Bands Sports, starting at the campus today.
Heading the men’s A section will be top South African players Adrian Hansen (KwaZulu-Natal) and Rudi Willemse (Western Province), who have been loyal supporters of tournaments in the province.
Earlier this year, Hansen and Willemse contested the final of the Rhodes Open in Grahamstown, with the WP man coming through 3-2. The odds are good that they will contest Sunday’s final.
Yet those two will not be able to take things lightly because another KZN player, Gary Wheadon, will be pushing hard to make the trip to PE worthwhile.
To illustrate how close it should be, on the Squash SA website, Hansen stands at five in the national rankings, Willemse is eight and Wheadon a further place back.
There will also be a strong Eastern Cape challenge, led by Border No 2 and Crusaders Challenge champion Jason le Roux, with the Schwarz brothers, Kyle and Zane, also in the mix.
The women’s field, which has been split into two sections, is headed by top EP players Lizelle Goosen and Jacqui Ryder, and it will take a major upset to prevent them contesting Sunday’s final.
The draws are: Men’s A section, first round: 1-A Hansen v 16-J Thiel, 2-R Willemse v 15-G Plaatjies, 3-G Wheadon v 14-L Sigele, 4-J le Roux v 13-R Botha, 5-Z Schwarz v 12-M Marshall, 6-K Schwarz v 11-S Erasmus, 7-P Phillipou v 10-T Mngcete, 8-B Nomkala v 9-B Forbes. Women, A section: L Goosen, L O’Grady, S O’Grady, K Pearson; B section: R Kennerly, K Dodd, J Ryder, R Boy. EIGHT teams have their last chance to finish in the money when the quarterfinals of the Nodefa preseason soccer tournament are played at the Jabavu Stadium in KwaNobhule tomorrow.
A semifinal berth will ensure the teams of at least R1 000.
The tournament carries a total purse of R10 000, with the winners pocketing R3 500, a floating trophy and medals. The runners-up will receive R2 500 and medals and the losing semifinalists R1 000 each.
In the first match of the day, Premier League champions Kabah United Brothers will take on City Style, who finished in second spot.
The champions did not have an easy passage to the quarters. In their first game they scored a close 1-0 win over lowly Young Pirates and then needed a penalty shootout to oust Jamaican Stars.
City, meanwhile, scored seven goals with just one against, beating Cango Chiefs 3-0 and Argentina Stars 4-1.
The second match sees Highland Spurs up against Flamingo United – the surprise package in the quarterfinals. In their earlier matches, Spurs disposed of Garden City and First Division runners-up Young Callies, beating both teams 3-0.
Flamingo had an easy win against Young Stars (4-1) but struggled against Young Culture, eventually winning 5-3 on penalties.
In the third match, Really Rangers play Golden Chiefs. Rangers beat First Division champions Khayelitsha Stars 1-0 and Uitenhage Eagles 2-1. Chiefs thrashed Eleven Stars 6-1 in their opening match and then edged All City Stars 5-4.
The final match sees New City Stars against Uitenhage Stars. On their way to the quarters, New City beat Lion City 1-0 and Reservoir Strikers 4-1, while Uitenhage took care of Mighty Teenagers 4-1 and Despatch Pioneers 2-0.