5 retain NMSA Closed titles

Five players successfully defended their NMSA Closed titles in the final round of the tournament that took place on Saturday. Craig Ruane won the final of the Men 35-39, Trevor Wilkinson ended tops in the Men 50-54, Johnny Orsmond retained the Men 55-59 title, Gordon Daniel took honours in the Men 60-64 and Johanna (Sussie) Boonzaaier won the Ladies 35-44 section.

The other winners were Ashwell Jeneker in the Men 40-44, John McLachlan in the Men 45-49 and Mandi Joubert in the Ladies 45+. The full results are available on NMSA Closed 2012 FINAL RESULTS.

The tournament was once again a huge success with more than 90 entries. Top squash was played and special highlights were the final round matches where Craig Ruane beat Jason Phillips 3-0, Mark Southwood beat Ashwell Jeneker 3-2 after being down 0-2, the traditional clash where John Mac narrowly beat Conrad van der Merwe 3-2 in a turnaround from last year, Gordon Daniel beat Peter Carey 3-1 and Sussie Boonzaaier’s close 3-2 win over a brave Mandi Joubert.

Some players were allocated to sections different from their age groups to ensure better competitive squash all round. This move was generally welcomed by the players. Substitutes also filled in for withdrawals to fill gaps in the draw and prevent byes.

Overall it was an enjoyable tournament and the NMSA Committee would like to thank everyone for their participation.