South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane made it through to the quarterfinals of the Airports Company South Africa SA Open at Ellis Park on Wednesday, and on a day when 300 children were shown the skills of the world’s best wheelchair tennis players.
Montjane progressed to the women’s singles quarterfinals with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Mariska Venter in a perfect result for the children who attended a development clinic at this Super Series event on the International Tennis Federation’s Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and it reflected Montjane’s desire to make an impression in front of her home crowd this week.
The adjustment to the high altitude in Johannesburg was an initial concern for many of the top seeds, and it was a factor that ensured Montjane had to work a little harder than she would’ve liked in her singles match against Venter.
“It’s always important to get the job done so I’m glad I could pull it through. But the higher altitude means you need to be careful. The balls wear out quickly so you lose that grip on the ball, and I struggled with that control. It takes one game like this to figure it out, but the conditions are different, so I think you need to ready for anything from any player,” she said.
World number one Sabine Ellerbrock echoed these sentiments after her 6-1 6-0 victory over South African Pauline Helouin.
“The balls are bouncing higher here so you have to get used to that. But I feel good and I’m prepared for the quarterfinals,” she said of a women’s singles draw that has been boosted with the addition of two more world top 10 players this week in Aniek van Koot and Marjolein Buis of The Netherlands. Both also won on Wednesday.
“As the number one seed you are always under pressure to win. I just need to relax and enjoy myself out there. The quarters are nearly all top 10 players, so I expect a few tough matches coming up.”
Live scoring is available on www.tennissa.co.za
Day 2 Results of the Airports Company South Africa SA Open* at the Ellis Park Tennis Stadium in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, on 30 April 2014: Women’s Second Round Singles: 1-Sabine Ellerbrock (GER) bt Pauline Helouin (FRA) 6-1 6-0 6-Katherina Kruger (GER) bt Viktoria Lvova (RUS) 6-4 6-2 5-Lucy Shuker (GBR) bt Rosalea van der Meer 6-0 6-0 3-Marjolein Buis (NED) bt Ludmila Bubnova (RUS) 6-4 6-1 2-Aniek van Koot (NED) bt Mabel Mankgele 6-1 6-0 4-Kgothatso Montjane bt Mariska Venter 6-2 6-4 8-Francisca Mardones (CHI) bt Noma-Afrika Gxumisa 6-1 6-1 7-Charlotte Famin (FRA) bt Thando Hlatswayo 6-0 6-1 Women’s First Round Doubles: Rosalea van der Meer/Mariska Venter bt Pauline Helouin (FRA)/Tsholofelo Sibanda 6-0 6-3 Siphokazi Fuma/Noma-Afrika Gxumisa bt Dudu Mokokonyane/Letaba Shai 6-3 6-3 Ludmila Bubnova/Viktoria Lvova (RUS) bt Nokwanda Hlongwane/Nonkanyiso Nyosi 6-0 6-0
* SA unless otherwise indicated
Photo Caption: South African womens no. 1 Kgothatso Montjane, during day 2 of the Airports Company South Africa SA Open, at Ellis Park Tennis Stadium on 30 April, 2014, in Johannesburg. Montjane progressed to the tournament’s quarter-finals with a stratight-sets win over compatriot Mariska Venter, to become the only local player in the last eight. Photo: Reg Caldecott
(With editing by gsport)
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