South African wheelchair tennis ace Kgothatso Montjane is through to the Quarter-Finals of the 2024 Australian Open Women’s draw, after 4th-seed Momoko Ohtani of Japan withdrew in the second set of their encounter at Melbourne Park in Australia, on Tuesday, 23 January, 2024.
Ohtani has been a tough competitor for Montjane over the years, with the South African managing just two wins in their six hard-court matches to date, but that wasn’t the case today, when the Japanese player withdrew trailing Montjane by a set and two games.
The plucky two-time doubles grand slam champion has previously alluded to her ambition of a singles grand slam title, and 2024 may just present Montjane her best shot at turning this dream into reality.
In the past four years of the championship, just three players have claimed all gold and silver medals earned at the year’s first Grand Slam, and of them, Netherlands players in top-ranked Diede de Groot and compatriot Aniek van Koot will face either other in this year’s first quarter-final match.
If Montjane overcomes her QF tie against Japan’s Manami Tanaka – over whom she holds a 6-0 record on all surfaces – she will face the winner of the fourth quarter-final, Montjane’s doubles partner and tournament second-seed Yui Kamiji of Japan, and the USA’s Dana Mathewson.
In head-to-head encounters between the two doubles partners, Montjane has succeeded in just 11% of ties against Kamiji, and last beat her in Melbourne, in January, 2016.
Success against Kamiji – should she achieve that high goal, will likely see Montjane face the winner between De Groot and tournament third-seed, the Netherlands’ Jiske Griffion, in the final of the Australian Open singles women’s’ draw.
Montjane is in the best form of her storied career, and she has twice demonstrated the tenacity demanded of a wheelchair tennis world champion in the past year. Might 2024 be the year that she achieves her highest high yet?
She can be assured of all of South Africa behind her in this quest.
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File Photo Caption: South African wheelchair tennis ace Kgothatso Montjane (right) is through to the Quarter-Finals of the 2024 Australian Open Women’s draw, after 4th-seed Momoko Ohtani of Japan withdrew in the second set of their encounter at Melbourne Park in Australia, on Tuesday, 23 January, 2024. Montjane is pictured along with doubles partner, Japan’s Yui Kamiji. Photo: ITF / Credit: Frank Molter
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