Eastern Province’s No 1 squash player Dean Venter finally added his name to the Madibaz Open honours list when he captured his maiden title at Mandela University’s North Campus in Gqeberha this weekend.
The tournament, sponsored by Maya Thermal Solutions, came down to a decisive final round round robin clash between the unbeaten Venter and Madibaz’s veteran campaigner Jason le Roux.
In a gripping 35-minute battle, 22-year-old Venter held firm under pressure to claim a 3-1 victory (11-4 3-11 11-5 13-11) and secure the trophy that had previously eluded him.
Venter, ranked eighth nationally, appeared to be in control after moving into a 2-1 lead, but Le Roux showed why he has earned a reputation as one of the game’s toughest competitors.
Trailing 10-8 in the fourth game, the 43-year-old saved two match points to level matters at 10-10 and then denied his opponent another at 11-10 before Venter finally converted his fourth opportunity to seal the deal.
The triumph continued a rich vein of form for the local star after lifting the EP Closed the previous week.
“It’s the first time I have won the Madibaz Open, and every title is so special if you can get your hands on it, so it’s a great feeling,” Venter said afterwards.
The top seed admitted added pressure came with being the player everyone wanted to beat.
“Every time, like now, being the favourite, there is that extra pressure,” he said. “Because I may have a title to gain, but they have that extra motivation to beat the top seed. They have nothing to lose, so there’s definitely a target on your back. At the same time, it’s nice to get match play.”
Venter has been competing regularly around the country and welcomes as much stiff competition as possible to simulate what he faces at bigger events.
After Le Roux fought back strongly to take the second game, Venter said he relied on the work he had put in during training to stay the course.
“For instance, we’ve played hundreds and hundreds of drops in training, so it’s going back to that feeling and being confident the training I’ve done will come through,” he said. “I told myself I knew I could do it, so I had to go out there and execute.”
He said despite the pressure of Le Roux’s fightback, it had been a case of backing himself with his shots and “not getting too greedy”.
Though squash has been part of his life since childhood, Venter said his ambitions had intensified over the past year.
“I’ve really stepped on the pedal,” he said. “Before that it was more about maintaining my ranking in PE, but now it’s about solidifying it and making moves on a national and international level.”
A major influence in that progress has been coach Nana Owusu-Sekyere, whose analytical approach has reignited Venter’s passion for the game.
“He has really helped me improve and fall in love with it again,” Venter said. “The way he studies the game has always interested me.”
The pair have focused heavily on improving movement and precision, particularly around controlling space and moving in and out of the corners. — Full Stop Communications
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