Cape Town – KwaZulu-Natal’s Makayla Naidoo bounced back from an early defeat to Brianna Robinson to produce one of the standout results at the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships in Cape Town.
On Friday, 14 August 2026, Naidoo beat Northerns top seed Elzandri Janse van Rensburg in an epic U19 battle.
Playing on the all-glass court at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront, Joburg Squash’s Robinson held her nerve in a morning encounter with Naidoo, recovering after surrendering a 2-0 lead to win the decisive game and claim a 3-2 victory.
Robinson appeared to be heading for a routine win when she established her two-game advantage, but Naidoo refused to give in and levelled the match at 2-2.
Having gone into the match confident, Robinson admitted that she had lost some focus and accuracy in the third game, allowing Naidoo’s aggressive approach to turn the contest around.
“The main thing in those situations is to make sure you don’t panic,” she said. “I just aimed to regain my focus and play a better length because Makayla can punish you if you are too loose.”
The strategy worked, with Robinson quickly opening an 8-3 lead in the decider. Despite a determined fightback from Naidoo, the Johannesburg player closed out the match to secure the victory.
Naidoo, however, did not allow the disappointment to derail her challenge for the national title and responded superbly against Janse van Rensburg.
The KZN player again found herself trailing 2-1, but her fighting qualities and effective strokeplay came to the fore as she levelled the contest.
With the momentum now firmly on her side, Naidoo surged into an early lead in the decider.
Janse van Rensburg, the Growthpoint U17 champion for the past two years, struggled to find her rhythm as Naidoo took control and swept the final game 11-3.
The men’s U19 division also produced a blockbuster when Western Province teammates Joseph Feast and Thomas Boutall went head-to-head, with Feast claiming a hard-fought 3-1 victory.
The opening game, which Feast won 11-4, gave little indication of the battle that followed, with only a few points separating the players in each of the remaining games.
Boutall levelled the contest by taking the second 11-9 before Feast edged ahead again with a 12-10 win in the third.
With both players covering the court relentlessly, easy points were at a premium.
Feast eventually moved into an 9-8 lead in the fourth game with a superb volley into the nick, before two stroke calls went against Boutall to hand Feast a crucial victory.
Top-seeded Northerns player Juan-Corne Brand was also made to work hard after Eastern Province’s Benji Newman took the opening game.
Brand responded strongly, however, winning the next three games to keep his title hopes firmly on track.
The Growthpoint U17 and U19 national champions will be crowned on Saturday when the final round of matches takes place at Makers Landing.
Friday’s results were:
U17
Girls
1-4: Starla Phillips (Northerns) bt Chelsey Cameron (KZN) 3-0 (11-9 11-6 11-8), Kate van Biljon (Border) bt Rylee Howells (KZN) 3-0 (11-4 11-7 12-10).
5-8: Keira Huang (Free State) bt Shannon Render (Northerns) 3-1 (11-6 11-8 7-11 11-7), Genevieve Lang (WP) bt Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-8 4-11 11-7 11-5), Shannon Render (Northerns) bt Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-4 11-13 11-6 11-5), Keira Huang (Free State) bt Genevieve Lang (WP) 3-0 (11-8 11-7 11-9).
Boys
1-4: Christian Swanepoel (Eden) bt Cobus Schimper (Free State) 3-0 (11-5 11-9 11-8), Ruan Botha (Eden) bt Ross Smorfitt (Eden) 3-1 (9-11 11-9 11-9 11-7).
5-8: Logan Kidson (Northerns) bt Dewan Borstlap (Northerns) 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-4), Logan Kidson (Northerns) bt Milton Posthumus (WP) 3-1 (10-12 11-1 11-3 11-9), Mathew McKenzie (KZN) bt Dewan Borstlap (Northerns) 3-2 (11-8 11-6 9-11 9-11 11-9).
U19
Women
1-4: Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) bt Dane Meintjies (Boland) 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-2), Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash) bt Makayla Naidoo (KZN) 3-2 (11-7 11-4 6-11 9-11 11-4), Makayla Naidoo (KZN) bt Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) 3-2 (7-11 11-9 7-11 11-7 11-3), Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash) bt Dane Meintjies (Boland) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-3).
5-8: Hanrie Duits (Eden) bt Benedette van Tonder (Free State) 3-0 (11-3 11-6 11-3), Benedette van Tonder (Free State) bt Emma Hill (EP) 3-1 (11-8 6-11 11-3 11-8). Tara Neville-Smiley (WP) withdrew.
Men
1-4: Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) bt Benji Newman (EP) 3-1 (9-11 11-6 11-7 11-6), Joseph Feast (WP) bt Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-1 (11-4 9-11 12-10 11-8), Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) bt Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-1 (11-6 11-4 6-11 15-13), Joseph Feast (WP) bt Benji Newman (EP) 3-0 (13-11 11-4 12-10).
5-8: Dean Katzin (Free State) bt Bandile Mahaye (KZN) 3-0 (11-7 11-9 11-5), Dean Katzin (Free State) bt Luan van Zyl (Eden) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-3). Joel Rix (Boland) withdrew.
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