SA’s Tenille Swartz has set the international women’s squash community abuzz after beating Egypt’s Raneem El Weleily and Camille Serme (France) to win the annual Women’s International Squash Player Association’s Young Player of the Year Award in London last night.
El Weleily, the 2005 World Junior Champion, had won the Award in 2004 and 2005. “I’ve never lost to Camille, but last year at the World Juniors, I lost to Raneem in five sets,” said Swartz.
“It’s awesome, it’s brilliant,” Swartz told gsport today. “I was just happy to be nominated in the first case, then I found out I won, I’m just ecstatic, it’s brilliant! It’s good to know that hard work does pay off. I feel I’ve put in a lot of hard work, and I’m very happy.”
Swartz only started playing the WISPA circuit four months ago, and promptly surged 77 places up the world rankings to 57th position, after winning the Austrian and Meersquash Open Championships, and qualifying for the 32 player Women’s World Open draw in Ireland.
Those rankings do not consider Swartz’s feats at the Grays Open Squash Championships in Oslo last month, including ousting second seed Annelize Naude (Netherlands) on her way to the semifinals, where she took fourth-seeded Tegwen Malik (Wales) to within spitting distance of a five-set win.
Swartz has spent the last part of 2006 under the instruction of Sjef van der Heijden in the Netherlands. “I must say these last two-three months really meant a lot for my squash, it really helped me with my squash, and to get on the squash tour and scene.
“If it wasn’t for this, I don’t think I would have had any of the awards of achievements I have now,” said a modest Swartz.
And how does Tenille intend to celebrate? “I’m with my family and friends tonight, we’re in Parys. It’s a really small town, and I’ll be with my family.
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