Squash champ Geoff chases Masters record

“The Weekly Times”, Wednesday 12 September 2018, article written by Chris Karas

“Sixty year old Davenport etched his name in the record books recently when he captured his sixth World Masters Squash championship—a remarkable feat for the evergreen athlete and coach based at MAASH Sports and Fitness Centre in Marsfield.

The crafty campaigner downed Mexican Juan Mendez 11-4 11-5 11-2 in the final staged in Charlotte, Virginia in the United States to continue his age group dominance at international level.

Davenport had too many big guns for the lion-hearted Mendez, who also boasts a top ten ranking in the sport of handball.

It continues an amazing 15 year record for squash maestro Geoff, who has lost only one match during a golden period in World Masters competition.

Davenport won his first World Masters title back in 2003 in Helsinki before annexing trophies in Cape Town (2006); Christchurch (2008); cologne Germany (2010) and Hong Kong (2014).

He missed the 2016 event through injury and lost his only match at Masters level during the 2012 event in Birmingham (England) after battling illness.

Geoff’s triumph in Charlotte helped him equal the world record of six championships held by South African squash ace Craig Van Der Wath.

Having equaled the mark, a determined Davenport has now set his sights on lifting a seventh trophy and claiming the record outfight at the next World Masters champions in Poland in 2020.

Quite an impressive career highlight that would be for the ageless warrior who picked up his first squash racquet as a 16 year old while growing up in Perth.

Davenport—now a director of NSW Squash—moved to Sydney in 1990 and has carved out an illustrious career in Masters international events as well as capturing five Australian titles.

As well as dominating on court, the six-time world champion has excelled as a coach at all levels and enjoys tutoring budding players throughout the week at his Marsfield base.

Geoff says the recipe for his outstanding success if “retaining my speed and movement.”

World Masters squash champion Geoff Davenport receiving his sixth World Championship trophy in Charlotte”