‘Match of century’ this year?

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 19

‘Match of century’ this year?

Sporting champions of different generations rarely get to compete against each other, and it is left to the imagination how Muhammad All would fare trading punches with Rocky Marciano or whether John McEnroe would outvolley Rod Laver. The printouts of com-/ puters — whatever detail is fed into them — are poor substitutes for the real thing. In squash though there

are moves to organise what would no doubt be billed as “the match of the century” — a series between New Zealand’s Susan Devoy and the legendary Australian player, Heather McKay.

On the one hand, there would be McKay, aged 44, the former world champion and 16 times winner of the British

Open; on the other Devoy, aged 22, the present British Open and world champion and unbeaten in tournament play since March, 1984. Devoy’s manager and now fiance, John Oakley, of Christchurch, said that he spoke to McKay a fortnight ago and she was “keen as mustard to play.” Devoy, too, was enthusiastic.

The snag at the moment is the amount of money needed to bring McKay out of retirement and put her, reputation back on the line against the new “queen” of women’s squash. “She won’t play for less than 5500,000,” said Oakley. “At the moment it’s stuck there.”

Oakley said that McKay’s manager, Gordon King, had found a sponsor in Japan in-

terested in a match there and a big firm in Australia was also being approached. Canada, where McKay spends much of her time, is another possibility for a match. It was envisaged that McKay would need four to six months hard training to prepare for the contest, but she is apparently already having regular matches with the former men’s world champion, Geoff Hunt

“The Aussies are saying that McKay is only hitting one false shot out of 100 and have suggested that she’d beat Susan,” Oakley said.

McKay had an incredible international career. She made her first trip to Britain at the age of 20 and in January, 1962, she lost to Fran Marshall in five games during the

Scottish championships. Between then and March 1977 when she won her last British Open, no woman beat her anywhere. As well as the British Open titles she also won the first two women’s World Opens — at Brisbane in 1976 and Abbeydale in 1979. According to Rex Bellamy, the author of “The Story of Squash,” McKay had many natural talents. Among them were remarkable concentration, her athleticism and agility, a flair for striking a moving ball and a superb competitive temperament. “She refined all this with a severe programme of fitness training and regular match practice with men.” Bellamy said the outstanding qualities of McKay’s game were “its

persistent power and precision” — a description which would apply equally well to Jahangir Khan — and she continued to improve after reaching the top. Oakley said that it would be “fantastic” if the match did come off. “It would be the biggest thing to hit squash.”

He believes that the series would have to take place this year for two reasons. “Heather is not getting any younger and Susan is riding the crest of a wave at the moment and if she had a loss this year it might take something away.” An interesting aspect is that the two protagonists have never actually met each other.

Oakley said that McKay only had videos of Devoy’s play to go on while Devoy did not even

have these aids to analyse her potential opponent’s game. Obviously McKay, as invincible as Jahangir Khan during her long reign at the top of women’s squash, would have much to lose and that might explain why she set such a high price on her reputation. But Oakley added: “Susan would have a bit to lose, too.”

Oakley will be working further on the details over the next few weeks. He flies out of New Zealand tomorrow to join Devoy in Britain. When the pair return to New Zealand in May, they will be living in Auckland, where Devoy has signed up with the Henderson Squash Rackets Club. TIM DUNBAR