• Tennis

Ranking points determined at Sanlam NTA event

• 3 Months Ago 13 August 2024

A total of 61 players faced off in the T08 Sanlam NTA tennis tournament at Central Tennis Club and SKW from Friday to Saturday.

Players were driven by the pursuit of universal tennis ranking (UTR) points and medals for the three top individuals in the singles matches and the two top doubles combinations in each age category.

The stakes were high, as the competition served as a critical qualifier for the prestigious Masters tournament set for 1 November, where only the best will battle for glory and the opportunity to represent Namibia on the international stage.

The tournament was a proving ground for the nation's best, with fierce competition across U10, U12, U14 and under-16 categories, as well as the mixed under-25 category.

Tournament director Larushka Kruger said the competition showcased the incredible talent and determination of players across the country.

“We had a very successful tournament. The level of competition was raised as we had more than ten matches decided in three sets. I would like to thank all the players who participated, the parents who supported their children and Sanlam for helping us make this weekend an absolute success!”



Singles results

The U25 mixed singles featured the match of the tournament between Antonio Tchivanda and Mari van Schalkwyk, with top seed Tchivanda ultimately prevailing 6-3, 6-2 to secure the gold medal, fortifying his unbeaten streak throughout the tournament.

Second seed Van Schalkwyk received the silver medal, with Cara du Toit claiming the third spot to get a bronze medal.

In the U16 boys singles, Henlou du Toit secured the overall victory and gold medal, leaving the silver and bronze medals for Kyle Els and Tadiwa Mombeyarara, respectively.

The U16 girls were merged with the experienced senior girls to go up against the boys in the U25 mixed category.

Top seed Johan Theron dominated the U14 boys singles to get the gold medal, beating Steven Gathuru (silver medal) 6-0, 6-0 in the decider. Gabriel Gurirab took the bronze medal.

The closely contested U14 girls' singles ended in a three-way tie when three players each won two of their four matches. Secilia Nghitewapo took the gold by winning 71% of her sets. Elrica Nakusera (silver) and Emma Brinkmann (bronze) followed closely behind.

The U12 boys’ singles saw Peter Gathuru emerge victorious, overcoming Eric Pretorius (silver) 6-3, 7-5 in the decider. Emilson Ngola (bronze) took the remaining podium spot.

Victoria Jansen triumphed 6-1, 6-2 in the U12 girls’ final against Milan de Lange to get gold, while Francis Boshoff earned the bronze.

Among the U10 boys, Jasper Coetzee claimed the top spot winning 8-1 against his final rival Nicholas Buys, with Marcel Diehl taking bronze.

Madison Hoff made a remarkable debut by winning four out of four matches for the U10 girls’ gold, with Immaculate Tanaka Fundisi (silver) and Apple Shuro (bronze) securing second and third places.



Doubles results

U25 mixed doubles: Mari van Schalkwyk and Dickson Phiri beat Cara du Toit and Antonio Tchivanda 6-1, 7-6.

U14 mixed doubles: Emma Brinkmann and Secilia Nghitewapo dominated 6-0, 6-0 against Lazarus Kanelombe and Steven Gathuru.

U12 girls’ doubles: Francis Boshoff and Victoria Jansen took top spot 6-4, 6-4 against Helen Boshoff and Milan de Lange (silver).

U12 boys’ doubles: Peter Gathuru and Emilson Ngola beat Eric Pretorius and Victorious Kakumai 6-2, 6-4.

U10 boys’ doubles: Jasper Coetzee and Nicholas Buys beat Adriaan Tromp and Pwoove Paulus 8-5.

U10 girls’ doubles: Madison Hoff and Immaculate Tanaka Fundisi beat Joy Mbangula and Apple Shuro 8-0.

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