The former world top-10 player used her athleticism and racket skills to dominate Joanna Shanks in the women’s 35 grade yesterday.
Shanks never stopped trying and hit some classy winners during the second set but Kitchen showed the benefits of being a relatively recent touring professional to prevail 15-5, 15-8, 15-5.
Dave Gardiner (Queenstown) was the toast of Otago squash after picking up the men’s 40 title.
In doing so, he emulated his father, Barry, who has won several national masters titles and is still playing at 78.
Otago’s other main hope was Shaun Madden (Cromwell), top seed in the men’s 35 and a two-time winner in this age-group as a Southland player.
However, he was comfortably beaten by Sam Atkins (Wellington) who has just joined the masters’ ranks and was more match hardened than Madden.
Scott Gardiner (Canterbury) was a popular winner of the men’s 45 title.
He spent a decade in Dunedin during the 1990s and has previously dominated the lower age-groups and been a regular national masters rep.
The closest final was in the men’s 65 bracket.
Trevor Colyer, who is now living in Riverton, took the first two sets against Hongi Laing and was controlling the match with some deft skills.
The mobile Laing then won the next two sets before Colyer won the deciding fifth set 15-10.
Colyer was a New Zealand representative during the 1970s and, like Barry Gardiner, has won a world masters title.
Attention now turns to the team event in which Otago will face the imposing Canterbury line-up in the first round.
