Rod Hayes (Christchurch) and Lyn Sparks (Burnside) last evening followed what has become a long tradition of men’s squash finals at the annual Sumner open.
Hayes, the top seed, won the tournament, but it took 68min and five games before he achieved his hat-trick of successes for the season.
It was a struggle for Hayes – he had to come back from 0-4 and 2-5 down in the final game – but if he had continued the way he started, the match might all have been over in a little more than half an hour.
The 19-year-old raced to a 4-1 led in the first game after winning four successive rallies, but never seemed to play quite so positively again in the match, even though several Sparks errors allowed Hayes to polish off this game in just 5 1/2 min.
Hayes was only two points away from the match when he led 7-3 in the fourth, game after winning the third, 9-4, but he still played far too loosely and he was tentative rather than going all out for winners when the opportunity presented itself.
Sparks won four rallies in a row to a level at 7-7, and although Hayes attempted to slow play up by lobbing to the corners, his shots were not tight enough to present his opponent winning the game.
The fifth game lasted 21min – easily the longest of the contest – and was marked by many fine winners and retrieves, but also silly errors by each player.
Neither Hayes nor Sparks had had easy paths to the final, and both had to come back from 1-2 down in games before beating Barry McNeil (Old Boys) and Paul McFadzien (Christchurch) in their semi-final matches.
Hayes and McNeil had three five-set battles last season, and the match early yesterday afternoon also went the full distance.
Both players employed cat-and-mouse tactics for much of the contest, but Hayes gradually gained the ascendancy and after trailing 2-4 in the fourth allowed McNeil just one more point in the match.
Sparks took 70min to beat McFadzien, who hit several brilliant winners in the nick, and as early as the third game looked a little tired and without the usual amount of time he enjoys to play his shots.
The fifth game took nearly 25min to complete and McFadzien was in sight of victory at 7-3 and 9-8 but made far too many errors – 14 were unforced – although he hit more winners than Sparks.
McFadzien admitted later he had been distracted in the last game when Sparks took several breaks, both when serving and receiving, to blow his nose or to get his breath back. On tow or three occasion McFadzien showed that he had lost his concentration by quickly hitting into the tin.
Kathy Graham (Burnside) started very well against her top-seeded opponents Ros Stanton, in the women’s final, and took the first game with some firm length drives which induced her opponent to boast down.
Unfortunately Ms Graham seemed a little nervous from then on, and she tended to overrun the ball and rush her shots.
Consequently Miss Stanton comfortably won the second and third games, and although Mrs Graham won the fourth with a fine forehand cross-court, after having a match ball against her, and started in fine style in the fifth, she soon lapsed back into the old pattern and lost the game, 4-9.
Some of the most clinical squash of the tournament was seen in the men’s B grade final when Stuart Davenport (Burnside) showed skill beyond his 14 years in demolishing Lindsay Walton (Old Boys) in just 19min. Walton did at least have the excuse that he had also been playing in a tennis tournament.
Results:-
Men A grade Quarter-finals.- R. W. Hayes (Christchurch) beat L. P. Skurr (H.S.O.B.), 10-9, 9-5, 5-9, 10-9; I. B. McNeil (H.S.O.B) beat D. R. Preston (Greymouth), 7-9, 7-9, 9-6, 9-0, 10-8; P. G. McFadzien (Christchurch) beat B. D. Matthews (Christchurch), 9-7, 9-6, 9-5; L. C. Sparks (Burnside) beat V. J. W. Hargreaves (H.S.O.B), 9-4, 10-8, 10-8.
Semi-finals: Hayes beat McNeil, 7-9, 9-1, 5-9, 9-4, 9-1; Sparks beat McFadzien, 9-6, 4-9, 9-6, 10-9.Final: Hayes beat Sparks, 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-6.
B grade Final: S. Davenport (Burnside) beat L. Walton (H.S.O.B), 9-0, 9-1, 9-5.
C grade Final: S. Doak (Sumner) beat D. Lawrie (Suburbs), 9-3, 9-7, 6-9, 8-10, 10-8.
Women A grade Quarter-finals: M. Holland (Sumner) beat C. Bowen (Temuka), 9-5, 9-5, 9-6; M. Steele (H.S.O.B) beat Holland, 10-9, 9-3, 9-4; K. F. Graham (Burnside) beat Steele, 9-1, 6-9, 9-5, 9-6.Final: Stanton beat Graham 2-9, 9-5, 9-2, 8-10, 9-4.
B grade Final: D. O’Grady (Burnside) beat P. Schafer (Sumner), 9-2, 9-3, 9-1.