A new-look South African team has been named by SA captain Christo van Rensburg to represent the country on home soil next month at the Davis Cup Africa Group III tournament in Pretoria.
The tournament, which will be hosted at the TuksTennis, University of Pretoria between August 9-12, 2023, will feature Benin, Algeria, Namibia, Senegal, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe. These teams will compete for coveted spots in the World Group II playoffs.
The four-member SA team has been largely changed since the national squad last turned out in February, when they were edged out by Luxembourg in their Davis Cup World Group II playoff in Esch-sur-Alzette.
Teenager Devin Badenhorst is the sole member of the squad retaining his place after the 19-year-old rising star made his debut against Luxembourg. The team, however, will be boosted by the return of Philip Henning, who has played four Davis Cup ties for South Africa and will bring valuable experience to the young team.
Badenhorst and Henning will be joined by uncapped 20-year-old player Dylan Salton, who will lead the outfit based on his ranking, and exciting 16-year-old prospect Leo Matthysen, the nation's top-ranked junior.
"Unfortunately, our top four South Africans have made themselves unavailable for various reasons. However, when one door closes, another one opens for someone else to showcase their talent and represent the country," Van Rensburg said after naming his team.
"I think our biggest competition will come from Zimbabwe and the Ivory Coast, and we are looking forward to bringing the national team back to South Africa to play in Pretoria."
The SA team will be hoping to reclaim their spot in the World Group in front of their home crowd, while solidifying their position as the leading African nation in the Davis Cup.
The top three teams at the event will advance to the Davis Cup World Group II playoffs in 2024, while the bottom two teams will be relegated to Africa Group IV next season.
SA Team (singles/doubles ranking):
- Dylan Salton (1072/1453)
- Philip Henning (1308/1098)
- Devin Badenhorst (1464/1986)
- Leo Matthysen