Eastern Province’s Hayley Ward will be hoping to gel quickly with new partner Alexa Pienaar when they challenge for the women’s title in the Squash SA Nationals Doubles Championships at Country Club Johannesburg this weekend.
The 27-year-old Ward has won the title on two occasions with provincial colleague Kacey-Leigh Dodd, but the latter has moved overseas, hence the new partnership with the SA Country Districts player.
For Ward, the emphasis on playing as a team is something she enjoys and she is looking forward to partnering Pienaar.
“I really do prefer the team events because for me it is so much more enjoyable having that support from a group of people rather than the more individualistic nature of the singles game,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Alexa as we have been in the same environment for many years and we get along really well, so that is also important.”
Ward acknowledges the strength of the doubles game in SA.
“It is very competitive now and you see a lot more of the younger players getting involved in doubles tournaments, which is good for the game across the country,” she said.
Evidence of this came in 2024 when she and Dodd encountered Northerns teenager Elzandri Janse van Rensburg in the final, partnered by Pienaar.
Janse van Rensburg will be back to challenge for the title in 2025, this time partnering the experienced Jennifer Preece.
With an exciting sprinkling of current holders and former champions littering the field, the tournament is primed for a dazzling display of intensity this weekend.
This annual event will see a total of 54 pairs hunting the top honours in the women’s, men’s and mixed doubles sections.
And while the defending champions stand out as obvious contenders, they all know that the relatively unpredictable nature of the doubles game means there is nothing that can be taken for granted.
Particularly exciting for the defending men’s champions, Damian Groenewald (Northerns) and Tristen Worth (Joburg Squash — Gauteng), is that they are chasing a hat-trick of titles.
A year ago, Groenewald and Worth edged the Joburg Squash pair of Christo Potgieter and Michael Wood in a sensational final and while they are fired up to repeat that, the talented Groenewald is not getting ahead of himself.
“We are very excited about this tournament, but I have seen that it is very strong this year, with players such as Rudi van Niekerk and JP Brits in the draw, plus Dewald van Niekerk [SA No 1] and Luhann [Damian’s younger brother],” the SA star said.
“But we are certainly not going into this tournament to lose, though it’s always important just to make sure we take it one match at a time.”
As most players follow an intensive diet of singles competition, Groenewald said it was refreshing to challenge themselves in the doubles format.
“Especially playing at such a high level, you need to adapt to the strategy and work out a style of play that is successful,” he said.
“I feel that Tristen and I think similarly on court and we are able to read each other’s body language in the singles game, and that translates into a certain amount of success in doubles.”
There are several new combinations in 2025, with mixed doubles champion Brits, who won with Alex Fuller in 2024, this time joining forces with teenager Chante Leppan.
Potgieter, a three-time mixed champion from 2021 to 2023 with Cheyna Wood, will be in the mix with Tennille van der Merwe, while the combinations of Ward and Damian Groenewald, and Worth with Pienaar, will make this category particularly competitive.
The top divisions are:
Women’s pool A: to be decided after qualifying rounds.
Men’s pool A
Box 1: Tristen Worth, Damian Groenewald; Rudi van Niekerk, JP Brits; remaining pairs to be decided.
Box 2: Dewald van Niekerk, Luhann Groenewald; Alan McGuigan, Justin Gouweloos; remaining pairs to be decided.
Mixed section (Swiss pairing, top four): 1 Damian Groenewald, Hayley Ward; 2 Tristen Worth, Alexa Pienaar; 3 Christo Potgieter, Tenille van der Merwe; 4 Reuel Videler, Helena Hudson.
The Herald
Ward ready to defend SA doubles title with new partner
Top field in squash doubles tournament promise dazzling action
Image: PETRI OESCHGER
Eastern Province’s Hayley Ward will be hoping to gel quickly with new partner Alexa Pienaar when they challenge for the women’s title in the Squash SA Nationals Doubles Championships at Country Club Johannesburg this weekend.
The 27-year-old Ward has won the title on two occasions with provincial colleague Kacey-Leigh Dodd, but the latter has moved overseas, hence the new partnership with the SA Country Districts player.
For Ward, the emphasis on playing as a team is something she enjoys and she is looking forward to partnering Pienaar.
“I really do prefer the team events because for me it is so much more enjoyable having that support from a group of people rather than the more individualistic nature of the singles game,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Alexa as we have been in the same environment for many years and we get along really well, so that is also important.”
Ward acknowledges the strength of the doubles game in SA.
“It is very competitive now and you see a lot more of the younger players getting involved in doubles tournaments, which is good for the game across the country,” she said.
Evidence of this came in 2024 when she and Dodd encountered Northerns teenager Elzandri Janse van Rensburg in the final, partnered by Pienaar.
Janse van Rensburg will be back to challenge for the title in 2025, this time partnering the experienced Jennifer Preece.
With an exciting sprinkling of current holders and former champions littering the field, the tournament is primed for a dazzling display of intensity this weekend.
This annual event will see a total of 54 pairs hunting the top honours in the women’s, men’s and mixed doubles sections.
And while the defending champions stand out as obvious contenders, they all know that the relatively unpredictable nature of the doubles game means there is nothing that can be taken for granted.
Particularly exciting for the defending men’s champions, Damian Groenewald (Northerns) and Tristen Worth (Joburg Squash — Gauteng), is that they are chasing a hat-trick of titles.
A year ago, Groenewald and Worth edged the Joburg Squash pair of Christo Potgieter and Michael Wood in a sensational final and while they are fired up to repeat that, the talented Groenewald is not getting ahead of himself.
“We are very excited about this tournament, but I have seen that it is very strong this year, with players such as Rudi van Niekerk and JP Brits in the draw, plus Dewald van Niekerk [SA No 1] and Luhann [Damian’s younger brother],” the SA star said.
“But we are certainly not going into this tournament to lose, though it’s always important just to make sure we take it one match at a time.”
As most players follow an intensive diet of singles competition, Groenewald said it was refreshing to challenge themselves in the doubles format.
“Especially playing at such a high level, you need to adapt to the strategy and work out a style of play that is successful,” he said.
“I feel that Tristen and I think similarly on court and we are able to read each other’s body language in the singles game, and that translates into a certain amount of success in doubles.”
There are several new combinations in 2025, with mixed doubles champion Brits, who won with Alex Fuller in 2024, this time joining forces with teenager Chante Leppan.
Potgieter, a three-time mixed champion from 2021 to 2023 with Cheyna Wood, will be in the mix with Tennille van der Merwe, while the combinations of Ward and Damian Groenewald, and Worth with Pienaar, will make this category particularly competitive.
The top divisions are:
Women’s pool A: to be decided after qualifying rounds.
Men’s pool A
Box 1: Tristen Worth, Damian Groenewald; Rudi van Niekerk, JP Brits; remaining pairs to be decided.
Box 2: Dewald van Niekerk, Luhann Groenewald; Alan McGuigan, Justin Gouweloos; remaining pairs to be decided.
Mixed section (Swiss pairing, top four): 1 Damian Groenewald, Hayley Ward; 2 Tristen Worth, Alexa Pienaar; 3 Christo Potgieter, Tenille van der Merwe; 4 Reuel Videler, Helena Hudson.
The Herald
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