On another memorable night for South African squash, the Growthpoint SA Senior Nationals championships produced new champions as Damian Groenewald and Hayley Ward triumphed in two gripping finals in Cape Town on Saturday.
Both title deciders at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront went to five games, with Groenewald (Northerns) ending defending champion Dewald van Niekerk’s remarkable five-year reign in an energy-sapping encounter, while Eastern Province’s Ward defeated third seed Lizelle Muller (SA Country Districts).
The 22-year-old Groenewald appeared to be running out of energy against one of the toughest opponents in South African squash, but somehow recovered after squandering two match points in the fifth game to finally convert his third opportunity to win 14-12.
Van Niekerk, chasing a sixth successive title, had a match point of his own at 10-9, but a stroke decision went against him and Groenewald survived to fight on.
Afterwards, the Northerns player struggled to find the words to describe his achievement, but was quick to pay tribute to the opponent who had set a national record with five consecutive titles.
“Not many people may know that I played Dewald in the semifinals a few years ago and lost in five, and he told me then my time would come,” Groenewald said.
“It just shows what a great character and friend he is, and I appreciated that so much.
“I’m not sure how I got there in the end, but my brother gave me a few strong words between games, telling me to step it up a bit and not to be soft.
“I decided I had nothing to lose in the fifth, so I just went for it as best I could.”
For Ward, it was a welcome case of third time lucky after she had lost to Alex Commins in the previous two finals.
But even with the defending champion absent from the draw this year, there was no easy route to the winner’s circle.
Although she is no longer competing regularly at the highest level, Muller remains a formidable opponent and showed exactly why when she fought back after Ward appeared to have taken control of the fourth game.
Ward led 2-1 and 5-2, but the 2021 Growthpoint champion responded with her trademark competitiveness and considerable skill to level the match.
Ward, however, retained her composure and quickly moved to a 10-1 lead in the decider, standing on the brink of a long-cherished dream after first competing at the Growthpoint Nationals in 2020.
Muller saved two match points before the 28-year-old top seed finally closed out the encounter.
The emotions flowed afterwards for Ward as she remembered her mother, Gail, a former provincial player who died in 2023 but played a major role in her youngest daughter’s squash journey.
“I am very happy with the result — it was a tough 3-2 match because Lizelle is always such a difficult opponent,” she said.
“I am just sorry my mother wasn’t here to see it — she would have probably told me to stop hitting into the tin — but I’m super happy to get the result.”
As the top seed, Ward carried much of the pressure into the tournament, particularly after missing the Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan interprovincial tournament this year and having limited opportunities to face many of the country’s leading players.
“It sucks that Alex wasn’t here to play because it’s always a tough game against her and you learn to challenge yourself, but it was also nerve-racking this time as I haven’t played the other girls this year.
“So, I’m happy to get through it against such an amazing player as Lizelle, because that 3-2 could have gone either way. I just managed to get it together in the fifth.” — BLD Communications
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