SA clinch squash medals

Johannesburg - South Africa captured gold and bronze when the team event at the All Africa Squash Championships was concluded on Thursday at the Wanderers Club in Windhoek after an intensive three days of pool matches.

In the semi finals, played on Wednesday evening, the South African A side accounted for the South African under-23 team by two matches to nil.

Siyoli Waters dropped the first game to Tukkies medical student Senade Haupt, but then won the next three games to give the senior side their first point.

Potchefstroom University student, Christo Potgieter, clinched the match when he defeated fellow student, Jean Pierre Brits in straight games.

Zambia A faced Botswana A, which was led by the world No 14 ranked player Alister Walker.

Sharon Chifwembe, attacking from the start, gave Zambia their first win when she outplayed Leungo Mothlabane for the loss of only nine points while Mwinge Lengwe accounted for Legotle Mosope also in straight games.

In the final, a repeat of 2011 in Johannesburg, Waters allowed Chifwembe no latitude, racing through the match in less than 10 minutes.

Veteran of all three All African events (1996, 2011 and 2013) Rodney Durbach faced Kelvin Ndhlovu. In a tough encounter, Ndlhovu eventually levelled the match at one match all, after edging through in the fifth game.

Potgieter, who is now ranked in the top 10 in South Africa lost the first game to Lengwe. The second game was a protracted affair as Lengwe battled to take charge of the match but it was Potgieter who edged through at 12-10.

Thereafter it was one way traffic, with the young athletic Potgieter in complete control winning through 11-0, 11-2.

The third and fourth playoff turned into another triumph for the South African under-23 team. Haupt, who earned her first National cap in 2012 at the Women's World Team championships in France had little difficulty in beating Lady Lebura in straight games 11-3, 11-4, 11-3. Walker levelled the match for Botswana as he cantered though in straight games against Tukkies student, Michael Wood.

The pressure was on Brits, but he turned in a disciplined display to beat Mosope in straight games and claim the bronze for South Africa.