The St Stithians Preparatory girls’ and boys’ A teams dominated the Rising Stars Tennis District Tournament at Ellis Park, while the girls’ B team finished fifth out of 15 teams.

The girls’ A team, made up of Georgia Frankish, Rhea Padayachee, Lucy Frankish and Camilla Schroeder, did not drop a single game in their first match. Coach Nadine de Reuck said the team played well throughout the weekend and was strongest in the final. “Our girls dominated on both days, especially in the finals,” she said. “They kept their consistency and game plan together throughout the whole weekend, keeping their unforced mistakes to a minimum and attacking on the right shots when needed.” She said the team is young, with two Grade 6 learners, one Grade 5 learner and one Grade 4 learner, which makes her even prouder of them.

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Renier Moolman, campus director and head coach of tennis at St Stithians, said the girls of the B team faced a tough start. “It was a hard fought match playing against your friends to start the tournament,” he said, noting that the girl’s B team started off the tournament playing against the girl’s A team.

The girls’ B team, made up of Lucia Bester, Keira Keevy, Megan Dumaresq and Savannah Brebnor, played in the play-offs for fifth place. Two of their matches in each round went to a deciding tie-break, with the team winning both rounds, beating St Mary’s C and then De La Salle Holy Cross College A. “What stood out most for me was how they picked themselves up after having to play the A team so early in the tournament,” Moolman said. “They did not let the loss affect them and continued to compete and beat some strong teams on the way to their fifth place.”

The boys’ toughest test came in the semi-finals against Unika Primary School. The team lost the doubles point, so both singles matches had to be won. Samuel Simpson, the number-one singles player, levelled the score at 1–1. “This gave our number-two singles player extra motivation to fight for the team,” Moolman said. Andrew Heyns then won the deciding match.
In the final against De La Salle Holy Cross College, the boys won the doubles point as well as both singles matches. Moolman praised Benjamin Bell, who was a last-minute addition and moved up three places in the team. “He really stepped up and performed extremely well,” he said.

Moolman said the school’s approach is built on more than results. “Our approach is built on discipline, respect for the game and each other, and attention to the small details that lead to long-term small improvements, both on and off the court,” he said. “We must always give 100% effort, but never forget that it must still be fun.”

Both coaches thanked the parents for their support. “Parents’ support is integral at any sporting event,” Moolman said. “The extra support they give before big matches can often be the difference, as with the close match the boys won in their semi-finals.”

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Looking ahead, the boys have just returned from reaching the final at the Sun City tournament and are now preparing for the national leg of Rising Stars and the Tennis South Africa events in December. The girls are heading into their tennis season, with a Sun City tournament in October and the national leg of Rising Stars also on their calendar.

Moolman said the school also plans a morning programme for players aiming for tennis scholarships in the US and for world tennis tournaments, letting them stay in a more traditional school setting instead of moving to home schooling. “I am extremely proud of every single one of the players in our programme,” he said. “Competing hard and fighting for every point, and doing so in a fair and positive way that shows great character, was amazing to see.”

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