Making a racquet in Benoni
Lucas Sithole and Kgothatso “KG” Montjane were the last of the South African wheelchair tennis hopefuls aiming for a title on the final day of the Airports Company South Africa Gauteng Open (Acsa) Gauteng Open, in Benoni, on Sunday, April 12.
The tournament was held at the Gauteng East Tennis Centre, which was was abuzz with activity since the event started on Wednesday, April 8.
After defeating last year’s Gauteng Open Women’s Singles Champion, Sabine Ellerbrock (Germany), in the semi-final on Saturday, April 11, the world’s ninth ranked player, Montjane, would face world number six and second seed at the tournament, Marjolein Buis of the Netherlands.
Buis would emerge as the champion and take the title after beating the South African 6-4 6-1.
The two opponents would then join forces to win the women’s doubles title, later in the day.
In the men’s singles final, it was Belgian player Joachim Gerard who defeated France’s Nicolas Peifer, to claim his first title on South African turf.
Peifer and compatriot Michael Jeremiasz would claim victory in the men’s doubles final.
In the Quad Division, it was a repeat of last year’s final match-up when South Africa’s Sithole met world number one and last year’s Gauteng Open Champion, David Wagner, of the USA.
Wagner would prove too strong for his familiar challenger and defeated Sithole in two sets, to win in Benoni for the third consecutive time.
Top seed Viktoria Lvova, of Russia, returned to Benoni to win the Gauteng Open Junior Girls Championship, which she also won last year, while Alwande Skhosana toppled the top seed, Sean-Liam de Hilster 6-2 6-4, to win the Gauteng Open Junior Boys Singles.
