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The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Furrows dominate Rootman to clinch men's title
Second seed Shane Furrows crushed top seed Heinrich Rootman in straight sets to win the Ekurhuleni Amex Super Eight men's singles title at the Gauteng East Tennis Association (GETA) complex on July 17. Furrows dominated both the long and short rallies, successfully containing Rootman's aggression to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Rootman started with high energy and had several chances to take the first set, but he was inconsistent. While it wasn't an easy win, Furrows praised his opponent for making him work. 'I played well. Heinrich is very solid. I was 4–0 up in the first set, but he won three successive games, including two breaks. I thought I was in trouble, but I kept my head in the game and got through it,' said Furrows. While the opening point of the match was brief as Furrows took an early lead, the second featured a 19-ball rally that ended with a backhand winner from Furrows. Despite Rootman's powerful strikes, Furrows' calmness and experience made the difference. He raced to a 4–0 lead before a lapse in concentration allowed Rootman to win the next three games. However, Furrows quickly regained control, using a combination of power, placement, and pressure to force unforced errors from his frustrated opponent. He closed out the set by winning the final two games, 6–3. The second set saw continued long rallies, though less drama. Furrows took the first two points, and while Rootman clawed back to 2–1, he couldn't keep up with Furrows' tactical play. The second seed maintained the upper hand in the serving battle to close out the match 6–2. Rootman acknowledged Furrows' dominance: 'It was a tough match. We played a couple of insanely long rallies. Credit to Shane. I think he missed five balls in the entire match. He didn't miss the big points. I was playing out of my comfort zone and it forced me to miss some balls.' Other results: Women's singles final: Unseeded Bosnian Iman Bajramovic defeated fourth seed Almè van Schalkwyk 6–3, 6–2. 'I'm happy I won because I went through many mental blocks to get to playing strong and getting match points,' said Bajramovic. U12 girls' final: Paris Omenogor beat Emma van Rooyen 6–1, 6–2; U14 girls' final: Kamogelo Plaatjie beat Lisa Jonker 6–3, 6–0; U16 girls' final: Wendy Modiba (Limpopo) beat Megan van Vuuren 6–1, 6–2; U12 boys' final: Cole Joyce beat Judah Brasg 7-6, 6-3; U14 boys' final: Johann van der Walt beat Veer Trikamjee; U16 boys' final: Jordan James Haynes beat Luke Verwey 6–3, 6–3. Also Read: The Corner Flag: Courts are rotting away Also Read: Clinical Sikhosana and Aksak win ITF tourney at GETA At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Double victory for Sikhosana and Aksak at Amex ITF Wheelchair tennis event
Top seeds Alwande Sikhosana and Zeliha Aksak claimed their second Amex ITF Wheelchair Futures Series titles at the Gauteng East Tennis Association (GETA) complex in Lakefield on July 4. Competing in South Africa for the first time in six years, Sikhosana rallied past Germany's Anthony Dittmar with a hard-fought 6-1, 7-5 victory, while Aksak, from Turkey, powered past South Africa's Nokwanda Hlongwana 6-2, 6-2 to win the women's title. Men's final After crushing Dittmar 6-2, 6-0 to clinch his first title of this tour on 30 June, Sikhosana went into the match high in confidence. Though the German battled against the wind, he made the African number one sweat for his victory. The South African commanded the opening set from the baseline, winning the bulk of the serve points to take it 6-1. The 24-year-old Sikhosana once again showed his pedigree, racing to a 4-2 lead in the second set. But Dittmar fought back without making mistakes against a rampant opponent backed by strong home support. Dittmar's fightback sent the set into a tiebreak, but Sikhosana regained his rhythm to ultimately triumph 7-5 and clinch the title in straight sets. 'It was a good match; tougher than last week. Anthony played very well in the second set. I was in control but he kept chasing me up and down. I'm happy to have kept the fighting spirit and actually taken the victory,' Sikhosana said. Sikhosana added that the victories were crucial in his chase for grand slam qualification. 'It's an amazing feeling. But the most important thing is getting the points to improve my ranking.' Dittmar, meanwhile, was content with his performance. 'The first set was pretty bad. I had good chances but I didn't hit the ball well and the wind wasn't easy for me. Alwande played well in the first set. In the second set, I just went for it and it worked a lot better. I'm happy,' he said. Women's final Having clinched the Amex ITF Futures one title on 30 June with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Ntsuku Ndlovu, Aksak was the overwhelming favourite going into this fixture. She lived up to expectations as she gave Hlongwana no chance to win the match 6-2, 6-2 for her second consecutive title. 'I feel better with my game, although I played with lots of pain in my back, which started at the beginning of this tournament. But I won all my matches and I'm happy with that,' Aksak said. Juniors Pheeha Machaka beat Orenetse Polile 6-3, 6-2 to win the boys' final, while Bridget Lesedi Malepe caused the upset of the tournament when she defeated top seed Inam Madiloyi of Germiston's Ithembelihle LSEN School, 6-2, 6-0. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
