By Tim Dunbar
Only eight Christchurch players have managed to make the men’s open draw for the Spalding South Island squash championships which begin at Chester Street on Friday evening.
This has come about because of the unusually strong North Island entry, which is headed by the world’s top junior, Stuart Davenport (Havelock North), and the former New Zealand representatives, Tony Naughton (Island Bay) and Trevor Colyer (Henderson).
Altogether eight nationally-ranked players are included in the draw of 16. They are the top seed, Rod Hayes (ranked No. 5), Davenport (6), Naughton (9), Shane Smith, Auckland (12), lan Borley, Waikato (14), Bryan Simpson (16), Colyer (17), Craig Hibbert (18).
The semi-finals on Saturday evening should bring together Hayes and Smith, Naughton and Davenport.
A Hayes-Davenport final on Sunday afternoon would be quite a drawcard. The pair have met only twice since the slight Davenport, then a talented lad of 14, left Canterbury in 1978. In the intervening years, Davenport has made a big impact, culminating in his winning of the British junior championship for the Drysdale Cup in April.
Last year Hayes, the national under-23 champion, met Davenport in the North Island championships and won in five games; earlier this month they again met in the North Island titles and the younger player triumphed in four.
Hayes will be keen to avenge that North Island defeat this week-end. At times in recent weeks the Canterbury player has been in brilliant touch; on others – he has shown signs of lethargy and it is to be hoped that he can shake these off in the coming tournament.
Rather more interest than usual will focus on the opening round with the Canterbury selectors likely to keep a particularly close watch on such matches as that between the representative contenders, Don Preston and Bryan Simpson. Another good match should be that between Davenport, the second seed, and Chris Wasley who upset all predictions by making the final of the Canterbury championships 10 days ago.
At present Canterbury team selection is wide open, Hayes and Hibbert the only players likely to have already been pencilled in by Messrs Les Milne and Doug Lawrie and Mrs Philippa Idour. However, Simpson (a potential No. 2) only needs to reproduce his sound early season form to be sure of a place.
Barrie Matthews, most disappointed about his apparent drop from No. 2 (on the 1979 provincial rankings) to No. 7, will be keen for some significant wins. The other major contenders are also in the draw.
The men’s first round draw is:
Rod Hayes (1) v. Derek Cook (Wellington), Craig Hibbert (8) v. Malcolm Vaile (Hamilton); Lawrence Skurr v. Ian Borley (5, Waikato); Brian Chard (Nelson) v. Shane Smith (4, Auckland); Tony Naughton (3, Wellington) v. Lyn Sparks; Don Preston v. Bryan Simpson (6): Trevor Colyer (7, Auckland) v. Barrie Matthews; Chris Wasley v. Stuart Davenport (2, Hawke’s Bay-Gisborne).
Wednesday 18 June 1980
