World number ones end South African hopes
The 2014 Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Gauteng Open returned to the Gauteng East Tennis Centre in Lakefield from Wednesday, April 23 to Sunday, April 27, with some of the world’s top ranked players showcasing their skills on the tennis court.
The tournament played host to a men’s, women’s, quads and juniors event.
South Africa’s wheelchair tennis aces Lucas Sithole (quads) and Kgothatso “KG” Montjane (women’s singles) both had a good showing at the tournament, but were beaten in their respective finals on Sunday by world number ones David Wagner of the US and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock.
Sithole, who received the Order of Ikhamanga in silver from President Jacob Zuma on Sunday night, lost in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) to the Australian Open champion Wagner.
On his defeat the world number two said: “It is a learning curve for me. I now know what I need to work on for the ACSA SA Open,” he said.
World number seven Montjane was defeated 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 by the German, but will take a lot of confidence into the ACSA South African Open, one of only six ITF Super Series events in the world, to be played from April 29 to May 2, at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
In the men’s singles final it was French ace and world number one Stephane Houdet who emerged as the victor against Japan’s Takashi Sanada (ranked seventh in the world) while the young Russian Viktoria Lvova claimed another South African scalp by defeating Thato Tsomole in the junior’s final.
The quads doubles final on Saturday saw Wagner and Canadian Sarah Hunter beat Greg Hasterok and Antony Cotterill 6-3, 6-1.
