South Africa’s double delight

South Africa’s men’s and women’s teams earned a double victory on Sunday as the 2019 World Team Cup Africa Qualification came to an end at the Nairobi Club in Kenya. The victors defeated the host nation 2-0 in both the men’s and women’s finals.

South Africa will now contest the men’s and women’s events at the 2019 World Team Cup, the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event, in Israel from 13-18 May.

With South Africa having secured 3-0 wins over both Nigeria ad Rwanda to top Pool 1 in the men’s event, Alwande Sikhosana and Evans Maripa remained undefeated against a Kenyan team that had previously dropped just one rubber to Tanzania on the way to finishing top of Pool 2.

With two straight sets wins behind him in the round-robin stage of the men’s competition 18-year-old Sikhosana was taken to three sets for the first time in the final before wrapping up a relatively comfortable 6-0, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory over Kenya’s Collins Omondi.

World No. 40 Evans Maripa then gave South Africa an unassailable lead after defeating Peter Munuve 6-0, 6-0. Maripa completed the event having only dropped three games across his three singles rubber after beating Alex Adewale 6-2, 6-1 in South Africa’s second round-robin pool win over top seed Nigeria on Saturday.

South Africa’s women’s team of world No. 6 Kgothatso Montjane and world No. 45 Mariska Venter reached the women’s final after beating Nigeria 3-0 to top Pool 1.

Venter opened the South African challenge by recording a 6-0, 6-4 win over Nwaozuzu Chituru before Montjane experience saw her through to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Kafayat Omisore. Montjane and Venter completed the pool win by taking the doubles rubber 6-1, 6-1.

Come Sunday’s final both South African players were in even more dominant form, Venter defeating Asiya Mohamed Sururu 6-1, 6-0 before Montane beat Jan Ndenga 6-0, 6-0.