The All Africa Senior Squash Championships got underway in Windhoek on Tuesday with the favourites Zambia and South Africa winning their opening matches.
In Pool A, South Africa A went to the top of the log after easily beating Zambia B 9-1.
South Africa number one Rodney Durbach beat his Zambian counterpart Mwansa Chileshe 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-1), while South Africa’s number two, Charito Potgieter beat Enos Mwale 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4).
South Africa’s top female player Siyoli Waters was far too good for Namweene Muchaile, winning the match 3-0 (11-2, 11-1, 11-1).
In the other Group A match Namibia got off to a losing start as they went down 6-3 to debutants Botswana.
Botswana’s number one, Alister Walker comfortably beat his Namibian counterpart Marco Becker 3-0 (11-3, 11-2, 11-6), while Botswana’s number two, Lekgotla Masope beat Namibia’s Andrew Forrest 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-3).
Namibia’s only victory came in the women’s match with number one Isabel Schnoor beating her Botswana counterpart Lady Leburu 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5).
Becker said he tried to put Walker under pressure but it did not work.
“It was a good match and a privilege to play against Alister. I tried to adopt an attacking game, but it is difficult to put him under pressure,” he said.
In the afternoon matches, Namibia registered their first victory of the championships with a dramatic 6-5 win against Zambia B.
Becker beat Mwansa Chileshe 3-3 in a gruelling five-setter (9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8), while Isabell Schnoor beat Namweene Muchaile 3-0 ((11-3, 11-4, 11-4).
Namibia’s Henry Smit however lost 3-0 to Enos Mwale (11-9, 12-10, 11-3).
In the afternoon, Botswana registered their second successive victory, beating Nigeria B 6-3. Alister Walker beat Tunde Ajagbe 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4), and Lekgotla Mosope beat Sadiq Taiwo 3-0, but Nigeria’s Lungdi Dasbak beat Leungo Mothlabane 3-0.
In Pool B, Nigeria A and Zambia A were the early front runners after beating Mauritius and South Africa B by the same score, 7-3, respectively.
Nigeria’s top male player Wale Amao beat his Mauritian counterpart 3-0 (11-3, 11-0, 11-2), and Nigeria’s number two male Jonathan Peters beat Christian Bezandry 3-0 (11-0, 11-5, 11-1), but Nigeria’s top female, Yemisi Olatunji lost 3-1 (11-2, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7) to Vanessa Florens.
Zambia’s top male player Kevin Ndhlovu beat his South African B counterpart Michael Wood 3-0 (11-5, 11-1, 11-4), while Zambia’s number two male Mwinga Lengwe beat Jean Pierre Brits 3-0 (14-12, 11-8, 11-5).
Zambia’s top female player Sharon Chimfwembe however lost 3-1 to South Africa’s Senade Haupt.
The results of late matches on Tuesday were as follows:
Pool A
Nigeria B 6 Namibia A 3
South Africa A 9 Botswana 1
Pool B
Mauritius 6 Namibia B 4
Zambia A 7 Nigeria A 4
The complete results of Tuesday are attached.