It was a long way to go to play tennis, but in the end it was well worth it for Johan van Niekerk.
He dominated the men’s single 65 year-old age group to win the Mpumalanga Masters, played at the Nelspruit and Panorama tennis clubs.
The tournament attracted 78 players in all.
Johan, who is a member locally at Uvongo and Umtentweni tennis clubs, beat Dan Ramokgopa in the final 6-1, 6-2.
His pool games were even more one-sided and he cruised through qualifying with ease.
The doubles, where he played with Theunis Lee from Bela Bela, were a little different and matches were much closer.
They lost in the final to Bertie Conradie and Patrick Vezasie from the Western Cape, 6-4, 6-3.
Overall, Johan enjoyed the event, saying the weather was warm – unlike the cold snap the coast experienced recently.
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