07 October at 02:51

07 October at 02:49

07 October at 02:25

07 October at 02:25

03 October at 21:21

Paul Coll NZ World no 4 racquet of choice

03 October at 04:09

Amanda Sobhy with her new Head 135 Radical racket at the Tournament of Champions

02 October at 06:05

Good morning intermediate squash players,

Round 7 of 17 is now completed, with Emily Potter’s team 4 the Geckos leading the way on 39 points, closely followed by Pete Stubb’s team the Echidnas on 38 points, and then on 36 points is Ahmed Sukhera’s team 3 the Possums……and of course its early days as there are another 10 rounds to go…….

Amy Hawkins ticked her box with a come from behind win last night, her opponent Jen Pullen looked to have the match under control after the first two games under her belt 15/11 and 15/8 but she will rue her missed opportunities to close out the match at 3/0 – but it was not to be, as Amy held on to take the third 15/13 and live to play another, and once again the fourth was a close affair, But Jen couldn’t hold off Amy’s new found form and resilience taking the fourth 16/14….and from there, it was all one way traffic, as Amy maintained her assertiveness as she ran away in the fifth 15/6 to take a well-deserved 3/2 win.

Another come from behind win went to Salman Subhani, after David Dunbier won the first two games with relative ease 15/7 and 15/10, Salman made some minor adjustments to his game, applied more pressure to David as the rallies became longer, David got tired, and unforced errors appeared in his game, gradually Salman gained the ascendancy, and once he got the bit between his teeth, there was no looking back, as Salman stormed home with relative ease in the end , taking the next three games 15/4 – 15/8 and 15/9…proving that if there’s hope, there is a way, you just need to find it….

Two wins in a row now for Ahmed Sukhera, well done! as he had lost his previous 5 matches, and this time against a seasoned opponent in Don Martin, some strange results in this match, as usual, Ahmed came out like a bull at a gate, 15/9 to Ahmed, Don tightened his shoelaces and came back strongly, but Ahmed had his measure in a long game 19/17, then I think Ahmed stayed off the court as Don cleaned him up 15/0!! – Don had found his form as he battled out the fourth to equalise the match at two all with a 15/12 result, after an early tight affair in the fifth, Ahmed had saved his best for the last game, as he outlasted Don to take the final game 15/10…Ahmed tells me he is getting fitter and adjusting to the higher standard of opponents he has been facing since joining this competition.

I called on reserve Brandon Green to fill in against another reserve for (Bec Potter) Asleem Amod, the boys had a pretty good match up, two points separated them at the end, as Asleem held off a fast-moving Brandon in a dour five setter, Asleem took the honours on the night 3/2 and 61 to 59 points,

Emily Potter after a spluttering start to the comp when she lost her first three matches, has now redeemed herself winning her last four matches and now sits on a 3.86 average, but last night’s win wasn’t easy, it was in a dour five setter against William Woodward, after a slow start 7/15 and 11/15 , William upped his tempo to take the next two games off Emily to make a match of it, as I’ve said in the past, its tough to come from two games down, equalise, and then maintain that continuity for the fifth game as well…and it proved a bridge too far away for William, as Emily prevailed with a solid 15/10 win to wrap up the match 3/2 and 65 to 58 points.

I matched reserve Daniel Fary up against the ever resilient Clare Pyc, Daniel knew he was in for a torrid affair after Clare won the first 17/15 and he won the second 15/13 – Clare has that ability to hit your winning shot past you and leaving her opponents standing in disbelief that she was even able to get to their winning shot, let alone retrieve it and send it past them with interest……..so yes Clare won the next game 15/8 – it certainly motivated Daniel, as he showed he wasn’t done with yet and rallied to equalise the mat at two all with a solid 15/9 equaliser, but it was a draining win in the fourth for Daniel, as Clare was all over him in the fifth, with a convincing 15/5 final wrap up of the match .

Melissa Hewertson and Bede Denham had a great match….a game win each to start with, 15/13 to Bede and 15/13 to Melissa, then a falter in her game plan, as Melissa went under the hammer with a 15/6 loss in the third, the fourth was tough, a looooong game….18/16 to Melissa, she had found her mojo again…..but draining ☹as Bede came home with a wet sail and won the final game 15/8 and the match 3/2

Awesome platters of food on all tables this week, special mention for Amy’s sambo’s….they were pretty good…..Emily Potters scones with jam and cream were scrumptious, Jamie Kirk did his table proud behind court 5 , and just as well, Ahmed’s team on court 5 did not contribute at all…… ☹lift your game……..

We had two coaches last Saturday, had 8 players taking part, it worked well, Marty will be with you this coming Saturday from 9.30am, and I will see if I can get Denis again as well, its good to have variety.

OK that’s it for this blog…….

Thanks to all who support me with their purchases at my shop…times are tough, and I appreciate your support.

See you all soon.

**The legendary Heather McKay....11 times World squash Champion...retired undefeated.....**

02 October at 05:51

Well they have finally arrived........ I have been waiting four weeks for them, the best racquet on the market bar none...the Head Radical 135 squash racquet, if you want power, if you want touch, and if you want control, this is the beast......it's my go to racquet for all comers, I've never had a negative feedback on this weapon......$210.00 and you can walk out and be happy with one..... 😎

28 September at 04:35

Intermediate In-House squash comp players......
Last night's results are attached to this email, and to the notice boards at the squash center for your interests.
Last night on court no 1, Ahmed Sukhera secured his first win of the comp (congratulations), but not before Clare Pyc kept him accountable, the match was won 3/0 by Ahmed, but sometimes the numbers don’t always tell the true story 15/13 – 15/10 and 15/10 – once you reach double digit figures, you’re in with a chance, but Ahmed rose to the challenge and was able to hold off a determined Clare…she always gives her all, good solid all round game from both players.
When you’re up 1/0 after the first game, you can't afford to rest on your laurels, after losing the first game to Jamie Potter 12/15 - Salman Subhani applied the pressure while Jamie was basking in his first up game win, Salman was convincing in his next two games by matching Jamie’s power game, and taking the next two games 15/9 and 15/4 – it’s a long way back from 1-2 down, but Jamie applied himself and managed to scramble a 15/8 reply to even the match situation, the final fifth decider, was a tight affair with the lead swapped several times by both players, however with Jamie leading 13/12 – an unforced error allowed Salman back in and to serve at 13 all, and from there Salman didn’t look back to take the match 3/2 and 65 to 56 points.
Reserve Asleem Amod had a tough five setter against Petar Josifoski, Asleem came out with intent and covered the court surface with rapid movements returning all of Petar’s equally fast and furious drives, a 15/11 result to Asleem was a justified result for the effort, the second game went long, 17/15 again to Asleem, those long game efforts can be draining, and you just don’t know which player is going to be effected most, if you’ve watched Petar play over time, you will know that he never says die….the third game to Petar 15/10, he was running as hard as he was in the first game, Asleem managed to up the tempo in the fourth, but once again Petar prevailed and held on to equalise the match score at two games all with a 15/12 win, the final game was tough on both players as they both strived for the lead to show their ascendancy, another 15/12 result…close, but not good enough for Asleem to win, Petar came back (so hard to do) from two games down to take the match 3/2 and 71 to 66 points.
We had a couple of forfeits during matches last night, Donna Hewitt strained her calf muscle against Gizele Josifoski, they played out the first game with Gizele squeaking past Donna 16/14 and a few points in to the second game Donna unfortunately had to pull out and forfeit with the game score at ¾…let’s hope it’s a minor injury for Donna’s sake.
David Dunbier forfeited his match against reserve Don Martin while he was up two games to one…….
Melissa Hewertson is back from Thailand after a three-week sojourn, she managed a good 3/1 win over Stephanie Hilles
Amy Hawkins is also back from a four week trip to the UK, she also got runs on the board with a 3/0 win over Lisa Littlejohn
Emily Potter is showing some very good form, she beat Bren Pullen 3/0 which is no easy task.
Emily also introduced her work colleague Matt Andrews to our group, he reserved last night and won against Jamie Kirk 3/1
Of interest to most of you….. our fellow regular squashie who is not playing this comp “Eoin Ryan Hicks” because he is on an extended holiday in Italy and is currently in Venice, proposed to his girlfriend yesterday, and they are now engaged to be…..I am nor aware of her name as I have never met her, but she was showing off a beautiful ring on a FB post…..congratulations Eoin…
Training is on this Saturday, with Marty and Denis.....
See you all soon.

24 September at 01:34

## Every year for one day in October, squash organizations from around the world collectively celebrate the game with the hopes of: Encouraging clubs to promote and share squash with the wider community; Providing opportunities for new, casual and past participants to spark an interest in taking up the sport; Engaging current participants; Celebrating everything squash and the great benefits it can provide. As founder Alan Thatcher says, “Our target is a simple one: to encourage clubs to hold events to repopulate the grassroots of the game the world over.”
## This year, WORLD SQUASH DAY is Saturday, October 12, 2024.

17 September at 23:53

Good morning Tuesday nighters,
As you can see, changes were made to the teams, not all of them, but most of them, not being 100% certain in some cases where I have placed players higher or lower than others, I have grouped them together in the same teams, if the higher placed player isn’t quite up to it and the lower placed player is performing well in the same team, then there is the option to swap places during the comp, its not always a good idea, as taking that step up say from no 2 to no 1 doesn’t always solve the team balance that we are trying to achieve, anyway I will keep an eye on the results as we progress.
Suppers were awesome! I even took a picture of one behind court no 1 – an excellent spread, there were some very good contributors, presented with loving care, and there were many home made presentations, Bethany Lindner was out injured, but still came along to support her team and bought her home made sausage rolls which were absolutely scrumptious, there were two presentations of melons cut in to cubes that were delicious, Bren Pullen was out injured, but still came along to support her team and bought along sourdough bread and condiments, David Dunbier made a special effort with his very tasty rolls and condiments, Helen Potter bought along her home made pikelets with butter and tasty jam, upstairs someone made a tray of homemade crispy chocolate squares that went very quickly, …..it’s so good to see that everyone is getting behind the suppers and going that extra mile, well done to all concerned….. and also cleaning up after yourselves has been pretty good…not 100% but good.
Peter Stubbs was able to go the distance against Petar Josifoski, when I was watching, I got the impression that Petar thought he was playing in a soccer match, as he threw himself and slid across the floor on several occasions during the fifth game in an endeavour to get his racquet under the ball that Stubbsy had played a drop shot from, I think the first game took it out of Petar, he won it, but at a cost, 22/20 – that drained him as Stubbsy won the next game 15/8 – the third game was close, but once again Stubbsy prevailed 16/14 – strength sapping games those close ones, good to win, but disappointing to lose, but once again Petar rose to the occasion and was able to nudge ahead and take the equalising fourth game 15/12……but that was it, Petar gave his all, and was spent in the fifth as Stubbsy finished all over him with a 15/8 final score….a tough match, both boys were breathing heavily at the end.
When I left court 7, where Jamie Potter was playing Ahmed Sukhera and the score was two games all and Ahmed was leading the fifth 7/1, I thought, yep Ahmed was about to have his first win at no 1 – but when I later encountered Jamie upstairs and asked him how he went, he replied, I got up in five! Wow! What a great effort, looking at the scores, Ahmed didn’t give up, and neither did Jamie…..19/17 in the fifth to Jamie….they also had a 20/18 in the fourth which Ahmed won…..Jamie scored 81 points overall, that was a tough match! Well done boys.
Haseeb Khan had it all to do up against Alana Samodol, the pair went to five , swapping wins from the start with Haseeb starting out confidently with a 15/10 win, Alana got her power game going and kept Haseeb deep in the back of the court controlling the front, which allowed her to take the 2nd game in a close result 15/13 – Haseeb was a little quicker around the court and made less errors which gave him the upper hand in the third with a solid 15/9 result, Alana pulled out all stops in the fourth and was able to keep Hasseb to 11 points and take the equalising fourth game, but by then Alana had run out of energy, and Haseeb prevailed finishing well on top in the final fifth game taking it 15/6 for a good hard fought win.
Stephanie Hilles got her first win up against Sue Whigham, not an easy opponent, as Sue is a very good no 3, but strangely enough, Stephanie won the first two games quite convincingly 15/7 and 15/5
Well Sue clicked in to gear then, but it wasn’t easy, Sue won the next two games, 16/14 and 15/13 – good close wins, but obviously energy sapping, as Stephanie stepped up to the plate for the fifth and won it 15/10 - I noticed that Sue was stretching while breathing deeply and recovering after the game…..a good thing to do…..you just can’t beat a game of squash, enthralling to the end, a great way to get a solid work out in half an hour of fast and furious physical activity.
I will be away on Saturday, as I will be with Ross and a couple of others at the Rugby match between the Wallabies and the All blacks, so the shop will be closed, I wont organise coaching/training this Saturday, unless you get back to me and say that you would like to have the session, if I get enough starters I will organise, but I will need at least four or more of you to get back to me saying you are keen, I will confirm with any replies……..
Hope to hear from you……have a good weekend, see you all next Tuesday the 24th…

16 September at 00:31

Junior squash coaching/training next starting during School Term 4

15 September at 10:09

Some futuristic budding world champions amongst this recent group of Australian junior squash representatives

14 September at 03:44

Racquet specialist carrying a large range of brands and associated products, Mizuno footwear is the preferred brand, we are also stringing specialist of all racquet sports - call for squash court hire at the Dickson squash center

14 September at 03:44

10 September at 23:26

Good morning Intermediates….
The leader board is looking good for a few teams, two teams on 51 points, one on 49 and another on 47 points……
Jamie Potter is holding steady with a 3.50 average, he had his fourth win in a row, and last night played his third consecutive 3/2 win, this time over reserve Asleem Amod, it was a tough match with both players chasing each other with a win/loss – win/loss until the final fifth game going to Jamie, I could hear both players breathing heavily as they entered in to the fifth and final game, Jamie had youth on his side, and went on with it as Asleem as always tried hard until the end….a very competitive match.
Sue Whigham held out a determined Bren Pullen in a very tough and hard breathing five set match, points went to Bren 64, and 61 to Sue, they are good to win those five setters, but for the loser they are hard to take, sometimes you look back at the close game you lost, like the 14/16 - 2ndgame the girls played which Sue won, and Bren had won the previous game 15/8…..if only….maybe it could have made a difference to the end result…..but it was probably the 1st game which Sue lost to Bren 8/15 which spurred on her determination to win that second crucial game to pull back Bren’s lead in the match….there are always crucial moments in tight matches.
Ahmed Sukhera came very close to his first win for the comp, Joel Woods had to pull out all stops to hold off a determined Ahmed, the boys went to five, once again the closeness of the first game loss to Ahmed 13/15 could have cost him the match overall, but to Joel’s credit, he knew he was under the pump throughout the match, but he managed to keep his nose in front at the end, Ahmed had a 2/1 lead and was looking the goods, but Joel held on to win the next two games 15/12 and 15/12 to take the match 3/2 – Ahmed finished up with 67 hard earned points, to Joel’s 62 points.
Nick Westerink came back from two games down against Tom Tokic….4/15 and 8/15 and you would have said, all over bar the shouting…but no, Nick lifted his game and 15/9 and a very close 16/14 took the wind out of Tom’s sails, deflated him in fact, as Nick then went on to take the fifth 15/10….good comeback from Nick, but Tom had his chances in the closely lost fourth to take the match…..
A determined Mark Lavis was not going to let David Dunbier have it all his own way, the boys went hammer and tongs in to a long match, they swapped wins and losses alternatively, and in to the fifth with no quarter given, finally Mark was the victor with a tough 16/14 final game to take the five setter, points were close, 70 to mark and 67 to David….tough encounter.
Reserve Peter Hobson was up against the wily Clare Maunder, a few years difference between the two, what Peter lacked in squash skills he made up in court agility, and he used it well, as Clare as we all know, if given the opportunity, has that squash ball on a string and plays it very well….they went to five games, with a very determined Clare pushing Peter to the limit in to the fifth, but unfortunately succumbing to the youthful Peter 14/16 in the final fifth game.
Just a reminder to all players, and in particular “New players” – each player, before or after their game, needs to take a turn at either scoring, or refereeing a match….no exceptions, it’s your duty.
Suppers weren’t bad, some were exceptional, keep up the very good standard, if the standard drops, the following week it’s bound to get worse.
I Have the very amiable Melissa Madden Orr coaching this Saturday from 9.30am to 11.30am…take advantage, Melissa has a lot to offer hungry to learn players.
See you all soon.

08 September at 07:31

Only committed squashies can feel the depth of this meme...

04 September at 01:34

Good morning intermediate squash comp players,
Last night’s accrued round 3 personal and team results are attached
to the notice boards at the Dickson squash centre for you interests.
Jamie Kirk’s team 9 the Bandicoots are leading the way on 40points, followed hot on their heels by Alex Hoy’s team 1 the Owls on 38 points, remember, don’t let them get too far ahead.
After next week’s round 4, I will look at individual results and may have to make some adjustments to evenly balance out the players in the teams as much as possible.
Out of the 24 matches played last night, we had 6 five setters, 7 four setters, and 11 three setters, we need to increase the number of four setters and decrease the number of three setter…. 😊
Good match ups were between Eoin Ryan Hicks and Clare Pyc, a slow start from Eoin in the first, or Clare jumped him with a 15/8 win, but thereafter it was nip and tuck all the way with Clare taking the bragging rights for the match 15/8 – 13/15 – 15/12 – 13/15 and finally a close one to finish 15/13 – there’s no doubt Clare gives her all when competing, she always comes off the court with rosy cheeks 😊
Mark Lavis and Jamie Potter had a good stoush, Mark began well taking the first two games15/10 and 19/17 – he couldn’t put Jamie away in a closely played third game 14/16 that opened the gate for Jamie who came home strongly taking the next two games 15/9 and 15/11 and the match 3/2 – points were 73 to 68 to Jamie – well done Jamie, its always tough to come back from two games down.
Alana Samodol had it all to do against new reserve Peter Hobson, down 0-2 to Peter to begin with, Alana fought back after some sage advice not to play short shots, hit the ball deep, make it harder for your opponent to retrieve and return…..it seemed to have made a difference to her game as Alana won the next two games to even the score at two all, but Peter rose to the occasion in the fifth holding off a determined Alana 15/13 and taking the match 3/2 and 68 to 62 points.
Muhammad Awais had to pull out all stops to subdue reserve Dilan Samuel, final points were 67 to Muhammad and 66 to Dilan, the five set match went to Muhammad 3/2 definitely a contrast of stiles between the two players, both relying on the speed and agility around the court, they both played well, the only issue they both had was making unforced errors, they can either win or lose a match for a player.
Haseeb Khan had a long lasting match against reserve Ron Bates, Haseeb finished up with 83 points overall, that’s a lot of hard work around the court, the boys played a close five setter, Ron just couldn’t reel in Haseeb in the fifth, losing it 15/17 – a good match up.
Another come from behind win last night, this time Kobi Price after looking all done and dusted at 5/15 and 11/15 to Cameron Knight, found that spark that he sometimes lacks, a hard fought third game win 15/13 to keep him in the hunt, and the dam wall broke, Cameron had hit the wall and had little to give as Kobi romped home 15/8 and 15/8 to take the match 3/2 and 61 to 59 points…Cameron will rue that third game loss at 13/15…….
A good squash night overall…and a great atmosphere at courtside, I love to see everyone taking part and enjoying themselves.
Suppers were good!, some very good efforts were on show, the standard of presentation was very good, I did my usual and tasted the fare, I was very impressed with some of the personal efforts that individuals presented for everyone to take part in…well done to all concerned.
Saturday training/coaching is on, 9.30am to 11.30am $15.00 for the session ….just short of a coach at the moment, but I will endeavour to produce a suitable replacement for the session.
(Ross is injured and won’t be available for some time, Ross suffered some serious damage to his right elbow after crashing from his E bike after a territorial magpie harassed him on the very traffic busy Adelaide avenue, as a result he spent 4 nights in hospital having a skin graft to repair the damage) Get well soon Ross……😊
See you all soon.

28 August at 06:06

Good morning squashies,

You're up to date Team results as well as your individual averages are attached to the notice boards at the Dickson squash center for your interest.

Round 2 of 17 is now completed, Jamie Kirk’s team no 9 the Bandicoots is leading the competition with a good start over the two rounds of 32 points, apart from Jamie, the team is made up of father and daughter combination of Petar and Gizele Josifoski, and our squash stalwart Bren Pullen, it's always important to make a good start, rather than trying to catch up later on 😊

Alex Hoy’s team no 1 the Owls are 2nd on 25 points, you wouldn’t want that gap to get any wider as the season progresses, the Hawks and the Dingoes are both on 24 points not far out of the picture…..

After two rounds, there are a number of players with a 5 + average which is pleasing, Thamba Pathmanathan is one, as well as Helen Potter, Salman Subhani, Petar Josifoski and Tom Tokic, but of course its early days, and its hard to keep the continuity over the next 15 rounds, but we will see…

We had two very tightly fought out matches on court no 1 last night, both went the full distance to five games.

Bec Potter was up against David Dunbier, Bec began well with a win 15/12 which was negated by David the following game when he won 15/9 – Bec responded emphatically with a solid 15/5 win in the third, I didn’t see the match at all, but it seemed a seesaw affair, with David responding once again with a 15/9 fourth game result to even the score at two games all, then Bec closed out the match with a final 15/9 win, taking the match 3/2 and 62 points to 56

Donna Hewitt was up against Melissa Hewertson on the same court, Melissa began the steadier of the two players with her normal tight drives down the wall, making it hard for Donna to control her returns, as a result Melissa won the game 15/10 – Donna began to volley drop her returns which shortened the rallies and won her points to take the second game (albeit closely) 15/13 – and Donna maintained her consistency for the third game winning it closely as well 15/12 – but Donna’s momentum deserted her, and Melissa took advantage, she went on to win the next two games 15/11 and 15/9 to take the match 3/2 and 70 to 60 points.

Reserve David Jacobs started well against up and comer Jamie Potter, 15/11 and 15/9 to David, coach Helen Potter could see what was necessary for Jamie to do, she went down to give Jamie some sage advice in between game 2 and 3 – whatever it was she said, it worked, as Jamie came back from two games down to take the next three games 15/10 15/12 and 15/9…we all need some advice to point us in the right direction from time to time….. 😊

I had my house on Peter Stubbs beating Cameron Knight in a close one I thought….but Cameron proved me wrong, he fought out to the end, Pete won the first two games 15/12 and 16/14 - the alarm bells were ringing for Cameron, but he was resolute in his determination, first he had to overcome a possible loss in three, but he managed that well with a closely fought third game which he won 16/14 – Cameron then negotiated the fourth with a good 15/12 win, I think that took the wind out of Pete’s sails as Cameron came storming home in the fifth with a convincing final game win 15/8 and secured the match from two down to win 3/2 and 72 to 65 points…well done!!

Reserve Olivia Rogan reversed her recent loss to her opponent Gizele Josifoski…points went to Gizele 69 to 62, but that wasn’t enough for her to win the match, Olivia was determined to amend the results from her last match with Gizele, she started well 16/14 a strength sapping first up game, Gizele responded after a word from coach Petar, and responded very well taking the next two games 15/7 and 15/9

Olivia had a little in reserve as she pulled out all stops for the fourth and won it 15/12 leaving for a tantalising fifth and final game result, both girls fought it out until the end, this time it was Olivia’s turn to take the chocolates home as she resisted all of Gizele’s efforts, and take out a match winning 15/13 result….3/2 and 62 to 69 points.

Reserve Megs Wood had it all to do against Jamie Kirk, tough day in the wards at Canberra hospital for Megs as she succumbed to Jamie in the first game 15/9 – somehow….Megs breathed deeply and came back to equalise with a tough 15/9 response, Jamie is still learning the game, but he is resilient enough not to give up….18/16 to Jamie, those long games are sapping, Megs had the answers, in the fourth a good 15/11 comeback to take the match in to the fifth decider, no quarters given by either player…all the way to the finish line …16/14 to Jamie…great match up, points were all even, 69 apiece.

Coaching/practice is** not**on again this Saturday, Club championships are taking all the courts on Saturday morning.

Coach Ross won’t be around for a while after that….he was attacked by a magpie while riding his bike on Sunday as he was coming to club practice, came a cropper on the harsh bitumen road, and as a result did some serious damage to his right elbow/forearm which necessitated overnight surgery to repair, so Ross will be out for a while, then he is off on a motorcycle ride around the NT somewhere, so we wont see him for a while.

I will organise a coach during Ross’s absence…to be advised.

All good last night, suppers were good, nothing to write home about, but good.

I need to remind all players, you need to take your turn at marking matches, and or refereeing a match, don’t expect your teammates or opponents on your court to do your share of the duty.

See you all next Tuesday if not before.

21 August at 06:52

Important notice from the Dickson squash club

Come and join us for our end of Club championship celebrations on Saturday evening the 31st of October....details below