Smashing success for junior tennis

The Namibian Tennis Association (NTA) junior tournament sponsored by Sanlam was held at the Central Tennis Courts in Olympia from Friday 14 to Saturday, 15 October. The weekend''s tournament was only for the Under-12 and U-14 age groups because the other age groups had their competition played out two weeks ago. Playing the Sanlam tournament was important to all aspiring junior players since it was the last opportunity to win qualifying points for this year''s national ranking. The best eight qualified juniors in all age groups will be invited to play the national youth championship on 28 October at the Trustco Junior Masters, the most important national tournament on the NTA Junior calendar. Luca Monteforte showed that he is a strong contender to end the year as the number one player in the U-14 age group. He dominated his group by winning all his matches. The runner up in the group was Diken de Jongh, a player of the FNB Development programme. Other upsets saw 11 year-old Elze Stears ending second in the U-14 group.Lisa Yssel was a class above the rest of her competition in the U-14 group where she won all her matches without losing a set. In U-12 Boys group Carlos Uirab caused an upset by beating Albertus Brinkmann 6-2, 6-2. When asked how he managed to dethrone the number one ranked player, Uirab replied: “I used angled shots to make my opponent move and I played drop shots to bring him to the net. This way I was able to pass him”.During the prize giving ceremony, the representative of Sanlam, Annemarie Saunders, commented that small players should have big dreams and one day present Namibia at international tournaments. “We from Sanlam are proud to contribute to the future of Namibian tennis,” she said. NTA president Sam Kaulinge handed over medals to all winners. He thanked all parents and players who had joined the tournament singling out especially the players who had come all the way from Outjo. The next event will be the Trustco Junior Masters on 28 October. ResultsUnder-12 girls singlesWinner: Elze StearsUnder-12 boys singlesWinner: Carlos UirabRunner up: Albertus Brinkmann Under-12 boys doublesWinner: Carlos Uirab and Albertus BrinkmannRunner up: Brandon Stevenson and Louis Minnaar Under-14 girls singlesWinner: Lisa YsselRunner up: Elze Stears Under-14 girls doublesWinner: Lisa Yssel and Elze StearsRunner up: Eldine Van Wyk and Tinashe Mukumba Under-14 boys singlesWinner: Luca MonteforteRunner up: Diken de Jongh Under-14 boys doublesWinner: Johannes Swartz and Luca MonteforteRunner up: Diken De Jongh and Daniel Kienitz KALLIE HEESE

Smashing success for junior tennis

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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Smashing success for junior tennis

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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