Mark Lamport-Stokes: Squash
Scottish squash player Martin Heath, currently campaigning in this country for the first time, believes that the South African men’s game is – in sum – greater than its individual parts.
He feels that the country’s top players, despite possessing the talent and fitness required in the professional arena, still have a way to go if they are to make a significant impact in the top 20 of the world’s rankings.
And the engaging Heath should know. A sequence of impressive career wins saw him climb to number 18 in the world by the middle of this year while, last year, he joined an exclusive club of players (including the likes of Jansher Khan and Australians Rodney Martin and Rodney Eyles) when he won the prestigious Singapore Open.
While Heath offers heartening news on the calibre of the South African men’s team which will contest the world championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 3- 8, he has constructive and friendly advice for those same players if they wish to progress further on their own.
”As a team, I think South Africa are very, very strong,” Heath says. ”But, although individually I think they are very strong as well, there seems to be a limitation with the guys when they compete overseas.”
Heath, like South African number two Craig Wapnick, apportions some of the blame for this perceived limitation to the particular squash ball used by the top players in this country.
”They use the orange dot ball at altitude in Johannesburg and the yellow dot down at the coast but both are very different types of ball compared to the one used in Europe,” Heath explains.
”Here in South Africa the ball slides more on the court so you get away with a lot more – in particular, you get away with a cross-court shot that just slides along the floor and that wins the point.”
”Conversely, overseas the ball grips a lot more, so you actually have to place the ball a lot more. In my opinion, that makes it probably more of a skilful game and it’s more of a tactical game there as well. Here in South Africa, I think power is the main attribute you need to have.”
Heath’s advice for South Africa’s top players would be either to spend a lot more time playing in Europe with the European ball or, instead, to use the European ball when they play squash back at home.
”If they did this, I think their world rankings would certainly improve. I’ve talked a lot to Craig (Wapnick) about this and he also feels this is the factor which determines why the South Africans don’t get up the world rankings – it’s all because of the ball.”
Heath is adamant that the likes of South African number one Glenn Whittaker, Wapnick and Rodney Durbach are all capable of breaking into the world’s top 20.
”These guys are certainly capable of cracking it right up in the world rankings. And Rodney’s been doing very well this year – he’s up in the top 30 in the world right now.”
As for Whittaker, who won the South African men’s title in 1995 and 1996, he has set his sights on making the top 40 by the end of this year.
”I think that’s a realistic approach. In March, I was 110 and, by May, I had climbed to 53 so that was quite a big jump for me. The Commonwealth Games next year is another important step and I want to increase my ranking to top 30 by then.”
Several notable career wins have given Whittaker the confidence that he has what it takes to achieve these goals. He beat Martin Heath in the semi-finals of the Natal Open earlier this year and, a few months before that, posted victories against world-ranked Australians in Dan Jenson (number 12) and Anthony Hill (nine).
But he also acknowledges that his goals will have to involve playing in a lot more tournaments – and, especially, overseas.
”I’m planning to play in about 10 world- ranking tournaments by the year-end and obviously try and improve myself by then,” Whittaker says.
And what about the personal goals of Heath himself, who has hovered around 18 and 19 in the world for the past year?
”That ranking’s actually made it quite a difficult year for me as I often have to meet the top four players in the world in the first round of tournaments. While being top 24 in the world means you don’t have to qualify for the major tournaments, making top 16 would mean I would get seeded,” Heath says.
”So I suppose that’s a minor goal for me. But, realistically, I would like to make top four or five in the world. And, to be there, you’ve got to be consistent as well.”
”I know I’m capable of having results over anybody in the world rankings – it’s then a case of whether I can do it consistently, which is what the world rankings are all about. It’s all about your performance over a yearly period.”
For Heath, that will be the acid test – as well as the small matter of staying relatively injury-free.
”Certainly to make top four or top five in the world, that’s my goal. And hopefully to get a big career win under my belt, either the world championships or the British Open. Something like that, then I can retire happy!”