Youngsters deliver strong performance
Namibian tennis teams shine at Mauritius tournament
KALLIE HEESE
An International Tennis Federation (ITF) CAT junior tennis event took place at the National Tennis Centre in Camp Petit, Mauritius, in the first week of October.
The event consisted of two tournaments, with the first one held from 1-4 October and the second from 5-8 October.
Players received ITF ranking points in the under-14 age category while in the under-12 group players received CAT (African) ranking points.
The first tournament was a grade 2 tournament where more ranking points were up for grabs while the second tournament was a lesser grade 3 event.
The Namibian team was managed and coached by Kallie Heese and SP van Wyk.
It consisted of Hendrina Apollus and Elze Stears in the girls’ U-12 category while Josh Barnard and Daniel Jauss were in the boys’ U-12.
Megan Lombardt and Lisa Yssel did duty in the girls’ U-14 while Oliver Diggle and Maans Steenkamp competed in the boys’ U-14.
Players played out for positions in a compass draw format.
One highlight of the first leg was Lisa Yssel’s appearance in the quarterfinals where she lost 6-1, 6-1 to Andrea Madson Finariera from Madagascar.
She eventually ended up in very respectable eighth overall position in the highly competitive girls’ U-14 age group.
In the doubles event Yssel and Lombardt caused an upset when they marched all the way to the semi-finals.
Here they finally had to bow out of the competition after losing 6-0, 6-3 to eventual champions Rochelle Pienaar (RSA) and Tsego Tsiang of Botswana.
The Namibian boys saved their best for last in the second leg when Steenkamp and Diggle went all the way to the semi-finals in the U-14 doubles event, having destroyed Kenya 6-0, 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
In the girls’ U-12, Apollus had to fight in a tough three-setter to eventually overcome Eve Gaillard of Reunion 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
The Namibian hopeful ended up as the best-ranked Namibian player of the two tournaments, reaching a seventh overall placing in the second tournament.
Other players who managed to win their first-round matches were Josh Barnard in the singles category.
Daniel Jauss and Josh Barnard managed a first-round victory in the doubles competition.
The Namibian youngsters will have a chance to put into practice what they have learned in Mauritius during the forthcoming local tournaments.
The next tournament will be the Sanlam Junior Tournament for the U-12 and U-14 age groups on 14 and 15 October, followed by the Trustco Masters on 28 October.
An International Tennis Federation (ITF) CAT junior tennis event took place at the National Tennis Centre in Camp Petit, Mauritius, in the first week of October.
The event consisted of two tournaments, with the first one held from 1-4 October and the second from 5-8 October.
Players received ITF ranking points in the under-14 age category while in the under-12 group players received CAT (African) ranking points.
The first tournament was a grade 2 tournament where more ranking points were up for grabs while the second tournament was a lesser grade 3 event.
The Namibian team was managed and coached by Kallie Heese and SP van Wyk.
It consisted of Hendrina Apollus and Elze Stears in the girls’ U-12 category while Josh Barnard and Daniel Jauss were in the boys’ U-12.
Megan Lombardt and Lisa Yssel did duty in the girls’ U-14 while Oliver Diggle and Maans Steenkamp competed in the boys’ U-14.
Players played out for positions in a compass draw format.
One highlight of the first leg was Lisa Yssel’s appearance in the quarterfinals where she lost 6-1, 6-1 to Andrea Madson Finariera from Madagascar.
She eventually ended up in very respectable eighth overall position in the highly competitive girls’ U-14 age group.
In the doubles event Yssel and Lombardt caused an upset when they marched all the way to the semi-finals.
Here they finally had to bow out of the competition after losing 6-0, 6-3 to eventual champions Rochelle Pienaar (RSA) and Tsego Tsiang of Botswana.
The Namibian boys saved their best for last in the second leg when Steenkamp and Diggle went all the way to the semi-finals in the U-14 doubles event, having destroyed Kenya 6-0, 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
In the girls’ U-12, Apollus had to fight in a tough three-setter to eventually overcome Eve Gaillard of Reunion 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
The Namibian hopeful ended up as the best-ranked Namibian player of the two tournaments, reaching a seventh overall placing in the second tournament.
Other players who managed to win their first-round matches were Josh Barnard in the singles category.
Daniel Jauss and Josh Barnard managed a first-round victory in the doubles competition.
The Namibian youngsters will have a chance to put into practice what they have learned in Mauritius during the forthcoming local tournaments.
The next tournament will be the Sanlam Junior Tournament for the U-12 and U-14 age groups on 14 and 15 October, followed by the Trustco Masters on 28 October.
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