Bezuidenhout, Kanelombe lift NTA junior titles
The third Junior Tennis Tournament held at Olympia’s Central Tennis Club and Sport Klub Windhoek last weekend saw Joanivia Bezuidenhout and Lazarus Kanelombe claim top honours.
Held under the auspices of the Namibia Tennis Association (NTA), the tournament brought together 53 players from across the country who battled it out for crucial ranking points across the U10 to U25 age categories in the boys’ and girls’ sections.
The points contribute towards national team selection and the season grand finale at the Junior Masters Championship, which crowns the country’s junior champion.
Competing in the women’s U25 section (as befitting her level of competition), Bezuidenhout was drawn in a round-robin tie with Secilia Nghitewapo and Emma Zalto, whom she both beat with identical 6-0, 6-1 scorelines to secure the title.
The silver medal went to Nghitewapo, who received a walkover from eventual bronze medallist Zalto, who could not make it for their clash.
Second junior title of the season
This marks Bezuidenhout’s second junior title of the season, having claimed her first in January and missing the second event last month while competing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) U18 circuit in Mozambique.
She was also meant to be on tour this week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), attending a training camp under former Argentina Davis Cup captain Leonardo Alonzo.
Bezuidenhout postponed the Dubai camp due to unexpected missile and drone strikes in the UAE, which have sparked safety concerns and travel disruptions.
Reflecting on her second title of the year, she lamented the low entries in her section but noted that she achieved the goal she had set for the event, which was to assess improvements in her level of play.
“I felt no pressure at all at the tournament, and I had a lot of fun, as I used each match as an opportunity to implement what I’ve been practising. I appreciate every match that I can get in the U25 category, as I am looking forward to many international matches this year,” she said.
She extended gratitude to Olympian and ATP coach Jeff Coetzee, who made a stop in the country earlier last month to offer tips to local tennis prospects.
She also thanked her coach Kendall Swartz and her father Jandre for their support in helping her achieve her goals.
Bezuidenhout has also qualified to compete among the best on the continent at the ITF U18 African Closed Junior Championships (J200) from 22 to 27 March in Cairo, Egypt.
New champion crowned
The boys’ section only featured the U18 category, as befitting the entries’ level of competition, organisers confirmed.
Here, a new champion was crowned in Kanelombe, who stepped up to the plate in the absence of last month’s champion, Tadiwa Mombeyarara.
Kanelombe was drawn in a round-robin tie with top seed Liam Oliver, Gino Braz and Aidan Matroos.
He first beat Matroos 6-1, 6-4 and then Braz 6-1, 6-1 before facing top-seeded Oliver in a tense encounter that saw him prevail 6-2, 6-4.
Kanelombe welcomed the victory, noting that the recent training camp with ATP coach Coetzee also helped him secure the title.
“It’s been an intense two weeks [of preparations], and Coach Jeff really helped put things in perspective for me. I used to get frustrated when I missed points, and it ruined my whole game. He taught me to manage that, and I felt calmer at this tournament,” he said.
Kanelombe acknowledged that the tournament gave him a lot of confidence and said he is now looking to play in more junior tournaments.
The U18 boys’ singles silver medal went to Matroos, with Oliver securing bronze. In the U25 mixed doubles, Braz and Kanelombe lost to Bezuidenhout and Larushka Kruger 6-0, 6-2.
Other sections’ best performers were:
U14 girls: 1 Janice Bezuidenhout, 2 Niamey Marcus, 3 Azalia Nauises.
U14 girls’ doubles: 1 Marcus/Bezuidenhout, 2 Alicia Hausiku/Albertina Johannes.
U14 boys: 1 Joshua Diergaardt, 2 Pameni Paulus, 3 Shafiishuna Shimali.
U14 boys’ doubles: 1 Paulus/Shimali, 2 Zéphan van der Westhuizen/Diergaardt.
U12 girls: 1 Madison Hoff, 2 Immaculate Fundisi, 3 Operi Uhongora.
U12 girls’ doubles: 1 Fundisi/Hoff, 2 Tonata Shikololo/Uhongora.
U12 boys: 1 Jasper Coetzee, 2 Nicholas Buys, 3 Peter Gathuru.
U12 boys’ doubles: 1 Coetzee/Marcel Diehl, 2 Buys/Joshua Cowley.
U10 boys: 1 Faan Vermaak, 2 Pwoove Paulus, 3 GJ Visser.
U10 boys’ doubles: 1 André Oliver/Buys, 2 Sikongo Aisindi/Kunomundu Kavari.
There were no entries for the girls’ U10 section.
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