More live squash from New Zealand in Week Three of the Unsquashable New Zealand Premier Squash League at Squash XL …
Final:
Temwa Chileshe 3-1 Joel Arscott 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7
Playoffs
Michael Shelton Agar 3-1 Jack Conder 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-4
Glenn Templeton 3-2 Lance Beddoes 8-11, 11-7, 11-1, 6-11, 13-11
Elijah Thomas 3-0 Leo Fatialofa 11-9, 11-8, 11-5
It’s two for Temwa
Rising New Zealand squash star Temwa Chileshe scored his second Premier Squash League title after he repeated his week one victory with success over Joel Arscott again.
Chileshe 19 ranked at 337 in the world defeated his training partner in four games but only after coming from a game down for an eventual 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7.
Arscott, 20 ranked 235 on the world PSA rankings was quick out of the blocks in the final winning five of the first six points but then found himself down 8-9 before reeling off the next three points in a row to take the first.
However Chileshe then showed a steady hand to freeze errors and gradually chip away to take the second 11-5. In the third game Chileshe pushed forward in what was a close battle and could have gone either way. In the fourth game it was Arscott who led 4-1, but Chileshe kept up with the shot making to win 11-7 and take the title.
Chileshe’s older brother Lwamba ranked 150 is currently based in the United Kingdom awaiting the opening of lockdown to get back on court again.
In other matches the battle of the 17-year-olds was won by Elijah Thomas over Leo Fatialofa in straight games for third place. Bay of Plenty’s Glenn Templeton, 18 took five games to overcome Commonwealth Games player Lance Beddoes for fifth position. Beddoes added some much needed variety to the tournament and at age 27 kept the youngsters on their toes with some short sharp shot making.
In the other match for seventh and eighths Michael Shelton-Agar beat Jack ‘Pinball; Conder in four games.
The fourth and final week of the Unsquashable Premier League which has been played to give New Zealand’s emerging squash pro’s competitive matches out of lockdown starts on Friday at the SquashXL Club in Auckland.
Repeat final set at SquashXL
Dave Worsley reports
It will be a repeat of week one’s Squash Premier League final when Joel Arscott and Temwa Chileshe face off for the title on the third week of the competition held at the SquashXL Club in Auckland.
Twenty-year-old Arscott, ranked 235 in the world had to go the full distance against 17-year-old Leo Fatialofa in his semifinal winning 11-3 in the fifth game. The win was only after the younger player staged a comeback from two games down to take the match into a decider, however the final game proved that Arscott’s steady game was just that.
Chileshe won his semfinal in surprisingly easy fashion over Elijah Thomas in straight games 11-6, 11-0, 11-3 who had beaten him in the same contest the previous week.
In the playoff matches New Zealand Commonwealth Games team member, Lance Beddoes accounted for talented teen, Jack Conder in four games and will now play Glenn Templeton who beat Michael Shelton Agar in straight games.
Semi-Finals:
Joel Arscott 3-2 Leo Fatialofa 11-7, 11-6, 10-11, 7-11, 11-3
Temwa Chileshe 3-0 Elijah Thomas 11-6, 11-0, 11-9
Playoffs:
Lance Beddoes 3-1 Jack Conder 11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9
Glenn Templeton 3-0 Michael Shelton Agar 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
Joel Arscott 3-0 Jack Conder 11-2, 11-3, 11-8
Leo Fatialofa 3-2 Lance Beddoes 4-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11
Elijah Thomas 3-1 Glenn Templeton 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7
Temwa Chileshe 3-0 Michael Shelton-Agar 11-3, 11-4, 11-6
Dave Worsley reports
A mix of matches on day one of the Squash Premier League in Auckland with a wildcard comeback of sorts and some familiar battles.
Two-time Commonwealth Games player Lance Beddoes, 27, joined the competition after returning from coaching in the United States and took on Leo Fatialofa ten years his junior and someone he had coached in the past. It was an entertaining contest where no rally surpassed eight shots as each player reeled off unorthodox and legitimate winners seemingly hit at will.
Beddoes, a former top 90 ranked player, used his court craft in the first game for an 11-4 scoreline, but then Fatialofa picked up the pace in the second for an 11-7 win. Beddoes then replied and won the third 11-8 before a revived Fatialofa took the fourth and then the fifth became anyone’s game with some quite remarkable shots.
It was only at 10-all that Beddoes choose to play long and the younger player was able to win 13-11 in 43 minutes.
In the other matches week two winner Joel Arscott had a victory in his match over 17-year-old Jack Conder in straight games in 27 minutes. Arscott playing with plenty of depth in the first two games while Conder had some chances but wasn’t able to finish them off.
Elijah Thomas defeated Glenn Templeton in four games in one of the many matches they have played and will no doubt continue to face each other from juniors to seniors.
Thomas was steady throughout and hard to put away while Templeton used his power effectively in the second game. However a potential injury appeared to hit Templeton late in the third game as Thomas won 11-7. The score was the same in the fourth as Thomas wrapped up the match in 36 minutes
In the final match, Temwa Chileshe played efficiently and professionally to take the victory in his clash over Michael Shelton Agar in straight games.
The semifinals will see a replay of last week with Arscott against Fatialofa and Chileshe taking on Thomas. Play continues from 3pm Saturday and Sunday at the SquashXL Club in Avondale.