Craig Hibbert, the losing finalist in the Ashburton open squash tournament at the weeend, will be hoping for better fortune in the Sumner club’s Vistalite Easter open which begins tomorrow.

Last year’s winner, Robbie Burnett, who beat Hibbert in five games in the final at Ashburton last Sunday, is not defending his Sumner tournament title and Hibbert has been made the top seed.

His main opposition is likely to come from another Canterbury representative, John Oakley, who was in the final two years ago, and there is also the experienced Lyn Sparks, a Canterbury senior selector, lurking at No.5 in the seedings.

The seedings are: Craig Hibbert 1, Oakley 2, Tim Cook 3, Wayne Seebeck 4, Sparks 5, Blair Michelson 6, John Christensen 7, Brett Hibbert 8.

In division one of the women’s section the Masters age-group player, Kathy Hargreaves, will be trying for her fifth Sumner Easter Open titles, after earlier successes going back to the inaugural tournament in 1973. Freda Walker, who has moved to Christchurch from Oamaru, is seeded to meet Hargreaves in the final and there will also be interest in the performances of Rowan Toia, formerly of Auckland and the highly promising junior, Justine Marriott.

The seedings are: Hargreaves 1, Walker   2, Marriott 3, Toia 4, Mary Hunt 5, Joan Terrell 6, Wendy Thompson 7, Kay Gilray 8.

Altogether 96 entries have been accepted for the tournament which will last until Monday, when the division one finals are scheduled for 2.15 p.m. (Women) and 3 p.m. (men).