Seventeen-year old tournament top seed Danielle Dai Chapman came back from a set down against the number-two seed compatriot Abigayel Vosloo to win the ITF J60 Gaborone in three sets in the Botswana capital on Saturday, 24 August, 2024.
Chapman didn’t lose a set in her four matches to the U18 tournament final, but number two seed Vosloo qualified for the tournament final in a similar emphatic style, and looked to upset Chapman when she edged her fellow South African to take an early first set lead, before Chapman cleaned up the second set to level matters, going on to wrap up the win 6(0)-7 6-1 and 7-6(2).
The depth of domestic junior tennis was on display with all four semi-final contenders coming through the South African ranks to test their worth against Africa’s best in the Southern African ITF development tournament, and of the eight quarter-finalists pursuing the title, only England’s Ophelia Davis and stand-out Botswana tennis player Chelsea Chakanyuka did not arrive in Botswana from the Republic.
Vosloo had come into the J60 tournament in a rich vein of form on the back of a win in the preceding J30 final at the same venue, when she overpowered South Africa’s Gitta Victor 6-2 6-2 for the U18 ITF entry-level competition.
Vosloo arrived in the final fresh after a first-round bye, losing only two games before besting her sternest challenge in Botswana’s Chakanyuka 6-1 6-3 to face Victor in the final, while the tournament seventh-ranked silver medalist had to expend greater energy to qualify for the final, including a testing three-set win over SA’s Lonwabo Majeke in the semi-finals.
The ITF World Tennis Tour is the main artery to the ATP and WTA Tour, and the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors provides close to 800 tournament opportunities for aspiring players and the stars of tomorrow in the international grading structure adopted in 2022.
Main Photo Caption: Seventeen-year old tournament top seed Danielle Chapman came back from a set down to beat number-two seed compatriot Abigayel Vosloo and win the ITF J60 Gaborone in the Botswana capital on Saturday, 24 August, 2024. File Photo: Tennis SA
Photo 2 Caption:Chapman didn’t lose a set winning her way to the U18 tournament final before beating no. 2 seed Abigayel Vosloo in three sets for the title. File Photo: Tennis SA
Photo 3 Caption: J60 silver medalist Abigayel Vosloo came into the tournament in commanding form, winning the J30 tournament. File Photo: Abigayel Vosloo on Instagram
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