The SA Spring Open tennis tournament is now down to its final four at Ellis Park Tennis Courts, Johannesburg, and in all events, you’ll find South Africans among the contenders.
The country’s top tennis aces Chanel Simmonds, Kgothatso Montjane, Lucas Sithole and Evans Maripa all progressed to the semi-finals of the inaugural combined wheelchair tennis Grade II and ITF $15 000 Transition Tour event on Friday with quarter-final victories.
Simmonds battled past fifth-seeded Caroline Romeo of France 7-6(1) 6-1 to advance, while two-time grand slam champion Sithole and US Open finalist Montjane eased past Chu-Yin Huang of Taipei and Nokwanda Hlongwane, respectively, in straight sets.
The country’s top ranked men’s player Evans Maripa will join them in the final four after upsetting third seed and world number 30 Nico Langmann from Austria 6-1 6-0.
Meanwhile, Alwande Sikhosana and Leon Els were knocked out of the quarter-final round of the wheelchair tennis men’s singles by fourth seed Guy Sasson of Israel and second seeded Frederic Cattaneo of France respectively.
Promising quad players Danny Mohlamonyane and Donald Ramphadi also booked their places in the quarter-final round.
On Friday, Simmonds faces unseeded Maria Viviani of Italy, while Montjane meets world number 34 Busra Un in a midday-session blockbuster. Sithole takes on compatriot Danny Mohlamonyane, while Maripa looks to upend second-seeded Frederic Cattaneo of France.
QUARTER-FINAL ROUND RESULTS
Men
1-Benjamin Lock (ZIM) bt Terence Atmane (FRA) 6-4 6-4
2-David Pichler (AUT) bt Vaughn Hunter (RSA) 6-2 6-0
3-Takanyi Garanganga (ZIM) bt Jordan Hasson (ISR) 6-4 3-6 6-1
4-Alexander Donski (BUL) bt 5-Hamidreza Nadaf (IRI) 6-3 6-3
Women
1-Chanel Simmonds (RSA) bt 5-Caroline Romeo (FRA) 7-6(1) 6-1
2-Merel Hoedt (NED) bt 6-Ashmitha Easwaramurthi (IND) 6-1 6-1
8-Tina Smith (AUS) bt Kristin Younes (ISR) 6-3 6-0
Maria Viviani (ITA) bt 7-Yvonne Neuwirth (AUT) 7-6(7) 6-4
Wheelchair Tennis
Men
1-Tom Egberink (NED) bt 5-Carlos Anker (NED) 6-3 6-2
Evans Maripa (RSA) bt 3-Nico Langmann (AUT) 6-1 6-0
4-Guy Sasson (ISR) bt 8-Alwande Sikhosana (RSA) 7-6(8) 6-7(3) 7-5
2-Frederic Cattaneo (FRA) bt 7-Leon Els (RSA) 6-2 6-3
Women
1-Kgothatso Montjane (RSA) bt Nokwanda Hlongwane(RSA) 6-0 6-0
2-Shiori Funamizu (JPN) bt Lerato Mathose (RSA) 6-0 6-0
4-Busra Un (TUR) bt Cornelia Oosthuizen (GBR) 5-7 6-3 7-5
3-Emmanuelle Morch (FRA) bt Mariska Venter (RSA) 6-2 6-1
Quads
1-Lucas Sithole (RSA) bt Chu-Yin Huang (TPE) 6-1 6-1
2-Shraga Weinberg (ISR) bt Ronewa Mudzanani (RSA) 6-4 6-1
Donald Ramphadi (RSA) bt Nkosenye Nkosi (RSA) 6-0 6-0
Danny Mohlamonyane (RSA) bt Michael Mahlanya (RSA) 6-0 6-0