Squash: Makayla Naidoo Makes a Comeback to Shock Top Seed at Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals

Cape Town – KwaZulu-Natal’s Makayla Naidoo rebounded from an early loss to Brianna Robinson to deliver one of the remarkable performances at the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships held in Cape Town.

On Friday, 14 August 2026, Naidoo overcame Northerns’ top seed Elzandri Janse van Rensburg in a thrilling U19 showdown.

Competing on the all-glass court at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront, Joburg Squash’s Robinson maintained her composure in a morning clash with Naidoo, recovering from a 2-0 lead to ultimately win the pivotal game for a 3-2 victory.

Though Robinson seemed poised for a straightforward win with her two-game lead, Naidoo fought back valiantly to equalize the match at 2-2.

Entering the match with confidence, Robinson acknowledged that she had lost some of her focus and precision in the third game, which allowed Naidoo’s aggressive style to turn the tide.

“The key in those moments is to stay calm,” she shared. “I aimed to refocus and improve my shot length because Makayla can capitalize on any loose play.”

Robinson’s strategy paid off as she quickly established an 8-3 advantage in the final game. Despite Naidoo’s determined comeback, the Johannesburg player managed to secure the win.

However, Naidoo refused to let her earlier disappointment derail her pursuit of the national title, responding impressively against Janse van Rensburg.

The KZN player found herself down 2-1 but showcased her resilience and effective shot-making to bring the match back to a tie.

With the momentum shifting in her favor, Naidoo jumped to an early lead in the final game.

Janse van Rensburg, a two-time Growthpoint U17 champion, struggled to gain her rhythm as Naidoo took dominant control, finishing off the last game with a score of 11-3.

The men’s U19 category also featured an exciting match as Western Province teammates Joseph Feast and Thomas Boutall faced off, with Feast securing a hard-earned 3-1 win.

Feast’s opening game victory of 11-4 provided little indication of the closely contested matches that followed, with only a few points separating the players in the subsequent games.

Boutall tied the match by winning the second game 11-9, but Feast regained the lead with a tight 12-10 win in the third.

With both athletes tirelessly covering the court, easy points were scarce.

Eventually, Feast gained a crucial 9-8 advantage in the fourth game with a brilliant volley into the corner, benefiting from two contentious stroke calls against Boutall to clinch the victory.

Top-seeded Northerns player Juan-Corne Brand also faced a challenging match after Eastern Province’s Benji Newman took the first game.

Brand, however, rebounded strongly, winning the next three games to keep his title aspirations alive.

The Growthpoint U17 and U19 national champions will be decided on Saturday when the final matches take place at Makers Landing.

Friday’s results included:

U17

Girls

1-4: Starla Phillips (Northerns) defeated Chelsey Cameron (KZN) 3-0 (11-9 11-6 11-8), Kate van Biljon (Border) won against Rylee Howells (KZN) 3-0 (11-4 11-7 12-10).

5-8: Keira Huang (Free State) triumphed over Shannon Render (Northerns) 3-1 (11-6 11-8 7-11 11-7), Genevieve Lang (WP) beat Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-8 4-11 11-7 11-5), Shannon Render (Northerns) bested Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (11-4 11-13 11-6 11-5), and Keira Huang (Free State) defeated Genevieve Lang (WP) 3-0 (11-8 11-7 11-9).  

Boys

1-4: Christian Swanepoel (Eden) overcame Cobus Schimper (Free State) 3-0 (11-5 11-9 11-8), Ruan Botha (Eden) triumphed over Ross Smorfitt (Eden) 3-1 (9-11 11-9 11-9 11-7).

5-8: Logan Kidson (Northerns) defeated Dewan Borstlap (Northerns) 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-4), Logan Kidson (Northerns) won against Milton Posthumus (WP) 3-1 (10-12 11-1 11-3 11-9), Mathew McKenzie (KZN) defeated Dewan Borstlap (Northerns) 3-2 (11-8 11-6 9-11 9-11 11-9).

U19

Women

1-4: Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) defeated Dane Meintjies (Boland) 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-2), Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash) bested Makayla Naidoo (KZN) 3-2 (11-7 11-4 6-11 9-11 11-4), Makayla Naidoo (KZN) won against Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) 3-2 (7-11 11-9 7-11 11-7 11-3), and Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash) triumphed over Dane Meintjies (Boland) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-3).  

5-8: Hanrie Duits (Eden) defeated Benedette van Tonder (Free State) 3-0 (11-3 11-6 11-3), Benedette van Tonder (Free State) beat 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) triumphed over Benji Newman (EP) 3-1 (9-11 11-6 11-7 11-6), Joseph Feast (WP) defeated Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-1 (11-4 9-11 12-10 11-8), Juan-Corne Brand (Northerns) bested Thomas Boutall (WP) 3-1 (11-6 11-4 6-11 15-13), and Joseph Feast (WP) overcame Benji Newman (EP) 3-0 (13-11 11-4 12-10).

5-8: Dean Katzin (Free State) beat Bandile Mahaye (KZN) 3-0 (11-7 11-9 11-5), Dean Katzin (Free State) won against Luan van Zyl (Eden) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-3). Joel Rix (Boland) withdrew.

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