Seniors have super time on the courts

More than 80 tennis players from all over the country descended on Mbombela last week for the 65 years and over Super Senior IPT Mpumalanga. Gauteng North won all three of the cup events with Kwazulu-Natal walking away with the 70 men’s title. Three Mpumalanga teams played in the 65B.

Sharon van der Schyff, seniors coordinator for Tennis South Africa, said this year’s tournament had been successful and was about so much more than the sport.

“The tennis community is like a family. People go through many big moments in life; they retire or lose their loved ones or their children leave home, and then they come back to tennis,” said Van der Schyff.

“Some of the people have played together since childhood. One of the ladies that participated was 90 years old. The annual interprovincial tournament is like a school reunion every year. There is such camaraderie, it’s like coming home.”

Jenny Emslie, who played for the Eastern Province 70A team, said the five-day event was incredibly well-run.

“The Mpumalanga people have been so hospitable and the weather has been remarkable. We’ve had dinner and danced in the botanical garden, watched exhibition tennis matches and enjoyed a good Lowveld party to end it all off,” she said.

Final standings for the Super Senior IPT 65B Cup:
1. Gauteng North 65B
2. North West Province 65A
3. Mpumalanga 65A
4. Gauteng North 65C
5. Mpumalanga 65B
6. Mpumalanga 65C.

For detailed team and individual results of all events from the tournament, visit www.tennissa.co.za, go to “Seniors”, click on “Seniors Order of Play and Draws” and then “Super Senior IPT Mpumalanga”.