Local tennis star wins title in Turkey
The Kemptonian was seeded number one in the tournament and produced an almost perfect performance.
Chanel Simmonds from Van Riebeeck Park romped to a world title victory by beating German fourth seed Laura Schaeder 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the ITF Transition Tour in Antalya, Turkey, on April 21.
The Kemptonian was seeded number one in the tournament and produced an almost perfect performance against the fourth seed in the $15 000 event.
It had been an impressive appearance for 26-year-old Simmonds, who did not drop a set throughout, beating wild-card entrant Alexa Pirok of Hungary in her first match, winning 6-0, 6-1.
That match set the tone for what was to come and the South African was yet again in imperial form when she came up against Belgium’s Eliessa Vanlangendonck, serving up a masterclass display to claim a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Croatia’s Mariana Drazic also fell victim to Simmonds’ rampant charge for the title as she suffered a 6-0, 6-3 defeat in the semi-finals to set up the decider against Schaeder.
Simmonds, understandably elated with her triumph in Turkey, said: “I am so happy to be back playing in tournaments. It was a great week of tennis for me and winning the tournament made it even more special.
“I am looking forward to the next one. I want to thank everyone for their continuous support, especially Tennis South Africa.”
