Junior tennis players from across Southern Africa have been facing formidable opponents at the International Tennis Federation Confederation of African Tennis Southern Africa Championships currently underway in Windhoek. Competing in the u14 and u16 age group categories, Namibia’s young tennis talents have been met with strong opposition, with all Namibian male and female players eliminated in both age groups by the latest round.
In the boys’ u16 category, Ruben Yssel secured an initial victory against T Andrianatoandro of Madagascar with a score of 6-0, 6-2 in the first round. However, Yssel faced a tough quarterfinal match against the top-seeded John Bothma of South Africa, ultimately losing 6-2, 6-1.
Lian Kuhn dominated the first round with a 6-0, 6-0 win against Noe Jemusse of Mozambique but couldn’t maintain the momentum in the quarterfinals, falling to J Rodrigues of Mozambique with a score of 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Eduan Schollij demonstrated his skills by defeating Kamohelo Mathibela of Lesotho 6-4, 6-2 in the first round but faced a challenging match against the fifth-seeded K Regoeng of Botswana in the quarterfinals, ending with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
In the boys’ u14 category, Luan Brand was the sole Namibian to clinch a first-round victory, defeating Joaquin Domingos of Angola with a score of 6-4, 7-5. However, Brand faced a formidable opponent in the quarterfinals, losing 6-1, 7-5 to the fourth-seeded Amin Rosa of Mozambique.
The girls’ u14 category saw mixed results for Namibian players. Secilia Nghitewapo, the seventh seed, secured a decisive victory in the first round, beating Unahi Shongwe of Eswatini with a score of 6-0, 6-1. Nevertheless, she faced a formidable challenge in the quarterfinals, losing 6-0, 6-0 to Charlotte Bouwer of South Africa.
Emma Brinkmann won her first-round match against Kazara Alberto of Mozambique with a score of 6-2, 7-5. However, her journey was halted in the quarterfinals, where she faced a tough opponent in the fourth-seeded Dandara Roque of Angola, eventually losing 6-2, 5-7, 10-7.
In the girls’ u16 category, Mari van Schalkwyk secured an impressive victory in the first round, defeating R Gowreesunkur of Mauritius with a score of 6-0, 6-0. However, she faced a strong challenge in the second round against the top-seeded Morgan Jordaan of South Africa, losing with an identical score of 6-0, 6-0.
Namibian players Ndeumono Wilhelm, Hilya Campbell, and Kayla Amutse faced tough opponents in their respective matches, leading to their exits from the tournament. Joanivia Bezuidenhout clinched a victory in the first round but was defeated by the second-seeded A van der Walt of South Africa in the second round.
Despite the challenges faced by Namibian junior tennis players in the competition, their participation in such prestigious events provides valuable experience and opportunities for growth in the sport.
