This past Saturday and Sunday saw the second UTR singles tournament of 2021, at Curro Nelspruit.

There was a division A and division B draw, and both draws were made using the UTR rating system. The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system uses a tennis player’s results against other players, regardless of age or gender, to calculate a rating number for that player.

This is a globally recognised system that rates everybody from Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams to Lowveld junior tennis players.

The Lowveld Junior Tennis Association purchased a licence from UTR last year in order to run tournaments such as these, in order to give players the opportunity to compete on a more level-based platform. A percentage of the proceeds from UTR tournaments goes to the player financial assistance fund, which helps eligible players with funding to travel to tournaments outside of the Ehlanzeni region and compete against the country’s best.

In division A, boys and girls and adults, ranging from 12 to 52 years old, competed in the same category. The final saw 14-year-old Christian Smith defeat Sunrise Tennis Academy coach Sabelo Mathebula in a nail-biter. Mathebula started strong and fended off Smith 7-5 to clinch the first set. In the second, Smith immediately turned it around and went 5-1 up, but Mathebula wasn’t giving the set away that easily.

The local coach won five games in a row to go 6-5 up, after which Smith turned it around again and won the set 7-6. The third set match tie-breaker showed that Smith was carrying the momentum from the second set, and Smith served an ace on match point to take the title.

In the consolation draw final, Dylan Ormiston beat Gideon Coetzer. In division B, boys and girls between the ages of eight and 14 competed in the same draw. NHS grade eight pupil Samuel Odendaal defeated Laerskool Laeveld’s Mias Bezuidenhout in the final, 3-6, 7-5 and 10-4, in another very close battle.

The B division’s consolation draw final saw Nelspruit Primary’s Imaan Packery defeat Curro Nelspruit’s Shayna Lea, 6-4 and 6-0. This was a great opportunity for Lowveld players to compete against a variety of players. The next UTR singles tournament is scheduled for March 27 to 28 at Curro Nelspruit.

Players can contact secretary Eline Visagie on admin@lowveldtennis.co.za for details.