Border squash star Simi Shwababa underlined her ability by finishing third overall on the final day of the Growthpoint SA U15 Nationals championships in Cape Town at the weekend.
After winning her opening game against Eastern Province’s Janel Hall last Thursday, the Stirling Grade 7 pupil qualified for the top four playoffs.
Although she lost two of her matches in that section – one of them was a five-game affair against eventual champion Chanel Leppan - she finished strongly to defeat another Northerns player, Mia Bakkes, in her final match, clinching the third spot.
For many of the players, the championships represented another important step in their development, while also providing an opportunity to compete against some of the country’s best young players.
Shwababa, who is coached by Kelvin Edwards, was introduced to squash at the age of four after following her parents and brother into the sport.
“I started when I was around four because my parents played squash and my brother played squash, so I thought I might as well join them as well,” she said.
The 13-year-old also plays hockey for Border but says squash provides a different type of challenge.
“It really challenges me. It’s not only a physical game, but it’s also a mental game as well, and it’s quite nice to tackle the mental side of things.”
Shwababa recently won the SA Junior Championships U15 title and already has experience of playing on glass courts, having competed at the Egyptian Open two years ago.
“A glass court is quite a different game and I am getting a bit used to it over the years. I look forward to coming back,” she said.
Western Province’s Aakiefah Taliep was another standout performer in the girls’ division, finishing runner-up after a spirited performance against Northerns No 1 seed Chanel Leppan in Saturday’s deciding match.
She came into the tournament as the seventh seed but caused the big upset of the qualifying round on Thursday by defeating second seed Kimeya Moonisami, of KwaZulu-Natal.
Moonisami appeared comfortably in control in the first game, conceding just three points, but Taliep responded strongly to take charge of the next three and secure a hard-earned four-game victory.
In the deciding match on Saturday, Taliep showed plenty of skill and determination, but Leppan held her nerve to secure a 3-1 victory and the national title.
For Taliep, squash is very much a family affair, having been introduced to the sport by her grandfather.
“I got into squash because of my grandfather. He played with me a lot, and I watched him play league a lot,” she said.
“I really enjoyed watching him play, so that’s how I got involved in the game.”