South African wheelchair tennis teams secured their place in the BNP Paribas World Team Cup after emerging victorious at the Qualification event in Antalya, Turkey on Monday.
Teams from across Africa, Asia, Americas, and Europe battled it out in Antalya to vie for spots in the final of the world’s preeminent wheelchair tennis team competition.
The 2022 BNP Paribas World Team Cup will be held on 2-8 May in Vilamoura, Portugal.
South Africa was the success story of the qualification event, becoming the only nation in Antalya to qualify for two competitions after its teams overcame Morocco in a deciding doubles in both of the men’s and women’s events.
The men’s team of Evans Maripa and Leon Els had a strong showing, notching two straight-set wins against Morocco in the final. Els lost the opening singles rubber to Fouad Boughnim 6-2, 6-0, but Maripa levelled the score with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Lhaj Boukartacha in the second singles rubber.
Maripa and Els wasted little time in putting the finishing touch to SA’s 2-1 victory, beating Moroccan pair of Foud Boughnim and Said Himan 6-1, 6-1 in the doubles.
In the women’s event, Mariska Venter and Nokwanda Hlongwane earned a 2-1 victory over Morocco.
Venter got South Africa off to a good start, bagging a 6-4, 6-3 win over Najwa Awan, but Morocco’s Samira Benichi halted the South Africa charge when she defeated Hlongwane 6-1, 6-3.
Venter then joined forces with Hlongwane in the doubles decider and were spurred on by teammates. The duo went on to secure the doubles encounter 7-5, 4-6, 10-3 to take first place.
South Africa will have three teams in action in Portugal after their Quad team qualified directly for the World Group last year.
South Africa were joined by Chile and Malaysia in qualifying for the men’s competition; and by France, Switzerland, and Thailand in qualifying for the women’s event.
The full list of nations set to take part in the 2022 BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Portugal on 2-8 May is as follows:
Men: Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, France, Japan, Sri Lanka, USA, Poland, Korea, Rep., Brazil, Portugal (WC), Great Britain (Q), Malaysia (Q), South Africa (Q), Chile (Q), (one additional wild card spot)
Women: Netherlands, Japan, USA, Great Britain, Colombia, Germany, Brazil, France (Q), Switzerland (Q), Thailand, South Africa (Q), (one additional wild card spot)
Quad: Netherlands, USA, South Africa, Japan, Brazil, Great Britain, Israel (Q), Turkey (Q)
Juniors: Japan, Great Britain, Netherlands, Brazil, France (WC), Australia (WC), USA (WC), Argentina (WC)
