Umhlali Country Club’s men’s and women’s tennis first teams showed talent and tenacity to claim their respective league titles.

The men’s first team clinched the KZN Super League title – the premier club league in the province – for the second consecutive year. They won four out of five matches, only losing to a strong Bellevue (Glenwood) side.

Bellevue needed to whitewash Cowie’s Hill on the final weekend to snatch victory but a solitary point was enough to ensure the trophy stayed on the North Coast.

Led by captain Waylon Ferrandi, the team featured a rotating cast of players, including ‘Mr Consistency’ Daniel Forsythe, Daniel Martin, Neville Wright, Lionel van Schalkwijk and the father-son pairing of Phillip and Jack Thornhill, who injected plenty of humour and family camaraderie into the matches.

“This is an incredible achievement for our players and the club,” said Ferrandi.

“Back-to-back league titles don’t come easy and this group has shown resilience, teamwork and a real love for the game. We are proud to see Umhlali tennis thriving at the highest level.”

The women’s first team will join their male counterparts back in the Super League after winning the First Division to secure promotion.

They too entered the final weekend in a tight race with Bellevue, who sat just one point behind the North Coast outfit. The final day was unfortunately rained out, denying fans a tense final showdown but rewarding the season-long consistency shown by Umhlali’s stars, who had bounced back quickly after a recent relegation.

Six players featured in the 2025 season – captain Ayanda Nteta, Stacey Watson, Eryn Baird, Sian Kruger, Topsy Hitchcock and Gill Birch.

“The determination shown by every player this season was outstanding,” said Nteta.

“To fight our way back into the Super League after relegation shows the true character of this team. We cannot wait to test ourselves against the top clubs again next year.

Find details on how to join Umhlali’s various sporting teams at umhlaliclub.co.za.

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