The ‘foreign legion’ came to the fore with Ghana’s Elizabeth Kapari leading the way on the second day of the SAS Junior ITF 2 tournament at Stellenbosch on Tuesday.
The second seeded Kapari, who has been based at the ITF/TSA Training Centre in Pretoria for the past four years, looked in control from the outset on her way to a 6-2 6-4 win over South Africa’s Morgan Dickason.
She showed she can be an aggressive baseliner especially when her serve was on song but on occasions she was happy to “mix it” up.
Kapari was a semi-finalist in last week’s event and she’s still in the hunt for a first 2012 title after several late-round exits in Egypt, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
Kapari is part of the 4-man ITF Training Centre contingent that’s playing the Stellenbosch Grade 5 event and coach Rosemary Owino, who hails from Nairobi, Kenya, is supervising the group.
Owina has been highly impressed by the standard of organisation at Stellenbosch event, and said the players were generally well treated.
“I’ve been to junior tournaments around the world and here the players are getting a good deal compared to their lot in Europe for example,” said Owino. “The accommodation and food has been excellent and overall the juniors have every chance of doing well.
“Some the kids here should be playing in higher grade events while others are doing okay for a grade 5 tournament. Ideally, I’d like to see grade 3 events in this country because it serves as a good indication of who can be really good players.
“I would like to see the ITF sanction more tournaments in African countries although I know finance is an overriding factor.
“The main thing is that countries are awarded these events, and if they can’t manage to stage, a neighbouring country could step in to save the event if they can raise the necessary sponsorship.
“Until Africa stages more events, there is little chance of increasing the flow of players on to the world circuits.”
First Round Results on Day 2 of the SAS Junior ITF 2, an International Tennis Federation Junior Grade 5 tournament at the Maties Tennis Club in Stellenbosch on Tuesday, 23 October: Emmanuelle de Beer (Mri) bt Kirsty Orton 6-0 6-1 Marnelle Boshoff bt Flyora Shiyanova (Rus) 2-6 6-1 6-4 8-Louise-Mare Botes bt Nina van der Berg 7-6(5) 6-1 Katie Poluta bt Minette van Vreden 6-3 6-1 7-Marli van Heerden bt Georgina Axon (GBR) 6-3 4-6 6-4 5-Nicole Dzenga (Zim) bt Danielle du Plooy 7-5 6-2 Louise Ronaldson (GBR) bt Kiana Neethling 6-0 6-1 Lize-Elfrida Moolman (Nam) bt Mabru Uys 6-0 2-6 7-6(7) First Round Results on Day 2: 1-Janet Koch bt Emmanuelle de Beer (Mri) 6-1 6-2 8-Louise-Mare Botes bt Marnelle Boshoff 6-3 3-6 6-2 4-Valeria Bhunu (Zim) bt Katie Poluta 6-1 6-2 Vanja Klaric (Srb) bt 7-Marli van Heerden 6-1 6-1 Amy Olivier bt 5-Nicole Dzenga (Zim) 5-7 6-3 6-2 3-Jessica Simpson bt Louise Ronaldson (Gbr) 6-2 6-1 6-Huibre-Mare Botes bt Lize-Elfrida Moolman (Nam) 6-1 6-2 2-Elizabeth Kapari (Gha) bt Morgan Dickason 6-2 6-4 Doubles Results on Day 2: 1-Nicole Dzenga (Zim)/Elizabeth Kapari (Gha) bt Danica Brewer/Cindy Dorrington 6-1 6-2 3-Huibre-Mare Botes/Louise-Mare Botes bt Valeria Bhunu (Zim)/Emmanuelle de Beer (Mri) 6-3 1-6 [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][13-11] Manuela Huckfeldt/Eunice Rohlandt bt Sian-Frances Crowder (GBR)/Kirsty Orton 4-6 6-3 [10-7] Lize-Elfrida Moolman (Nam)/Katie Poluta bt Caitlin Herb/Lindsay Truscott 6-1 6-2 Georgina Axon/Louise Ronaldson (GBR) bt Danielle du Plooy/Marsha-Ann van Rensburg 6-0 6-2 2-Janet Koch/Amy Olivier bt Maxine Bateman/Minette van Vreden 6-0 6-4 First Round Results of the SAS Junior ITF 2 (ITF Junior Grade 5 Tournament) at the Maties Tennis Club in Stellenbosch, on Monday, 22 October, 2012: 1-Janet Koch bt Danica Brewer 6-2 6-0 4-Valeria Bhunu (Zim) bt Mia Aleksic 6-1 6-0 Amy Olivier bt Caitlin Herb 6-1 7-5 3-Jessica Simpson bt Lindsay Truscott 6-1 6-1 6-Huibre-Mare Botes bt Dominique West (Walkover due to injury) 2-Elizabeth Kapari (Gha) bt Maxine Bateman 6-4 7-5 Morgan Dickason bt Chelsea Steward 2-6 6-4 6-2 Caitlin Herb bt Amy Olivier 6-1 7-5 Vanja Klaric (Sbr) bt Jone Kruger 6-1 6-2
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