Pretoria’s Barnard sisters flying South Africa’s flag in Monaco
Three local junior tennis players are part of a South African team currently competing in Monaco.
A top South African under 16 team have arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco to represent the country in the annual Worldwide IC Junior Challenge.
The team comprises of two boys, Jordan Sauer (Gauteng North) and Joshua Howard-Tripp (Gauteng East) and also two local girls, the sisters Zani and Lee Barnard (Gauteng North). Their coash is Terrey Schweitzer from Gauteng East.
South Africa join hosts Monaco, defending champions USA, Argentina, Japan and Spain in the five day event which sees each team playing against each other in a round robin format.
Each tie will consist of six rubbers namely two boys singles, two girls singles, a boys and girls doubles rubber and should the teams be drawn by the end of the six rubbers, the tie will be decided by a mixed doubles.
The tournament is fully sponsored by the International Club (IC) which is an umbrella body of the International Tennis Federation of which South Africa is a founding member.
Leonie Grondel, Chairperson of the International Club of South Africa said the IC decided on the under 16 age-group because this age group “seemed to have been forgotten as far as international competition was concerned.”
“This event sees all teams stay together and eat meals together, giving great opportunities for social interaction and where life-long friendships are made – all part of the IC’s ‘hands across the net, friendship across the ocean’ approach” added Grondel.
In 2008, a South African team was invited to participate in the World Finals in Auckland, New Zealand for the first time after winning the Africa Nations Cup, but on the understanding that they would be able to play again only if they won a qualifying event held in Africa. Thus it was only in 2012 that South Africa qualified to participate again by virtue of having staged the African continent’s own qualifying event in 2011. South Africa won the African qualifying event and represented the continent in the World Finals in Australia, winning that event as well. Two of the girls in the team of 2012 namely Ilze Hattingh (also from Pretoria) and Lynn Kiro went on to represent South Africa in the Fed Cup.
South Africa will play Spain in their opening match in the tournament in Mocaco.
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