Namibia reached the girls u16 semifinals of the ITF African Junior Tennis team championships which are currently underway in Windhoek.
Despite losing 3-0 to Zimbabwe on Thursday, Namibia reached the semis after finishing second behind Zimbabwe in Group A, after previously beating Mozambique 2-1 and Lesotho 3-0.
In Thursday’s matches against Zimbabwe, Mari van Schalkwyk lost 6-1, 6-4 to Chanelle Zhuwakini; Joanivia Bezuidenhout lost 6-1, 6-1 to Simphiwe Malunguza; and Van Schalkwyk and Natalia-Tia Ouses lost 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 to Malunguza and Rutendo Mavhenyengwa in the doubles.
In the boys u16 category South Africa will take on Botswana in Friday’s semifinals, while Zimbabwe will take on Mozambique at the Central Tennis Courts.
South Africa beat both Mauritius and Mozambique 3-0 to finish on top of Group B, while Zimbabwe beat Namibia 2-1, Botswana 3-0 and Lesotho 3-0 to finish on top of Group A.
Namibia finished third in Group B after beating Lesotho 3-0, but losing 2-1 top both Zimbabwe and Botswana.
In Thursday’s matches against Zimbabwe, Lian Kuhn lost 6-2, 6-2 to Tendekai Musabaeka and Dante Marcus lost 6-2, 6-2 to Noah Samushonga, while Kuhn and Luan Brand beat Musabaeka and Samushonga 6-0, 3-6, 10-6 in the doubles.
In the boys u14 category, South Africa will take on Botswana, while Zimbabwe will take on Madagascar in Friday’s semifinals.
Zimbabwe finished on top of Group A after winning all their matches 3-0 against Botswana, Mauritius, Lesotho and Eswatini, while South Africa finished on top of Group B after 3-0 victories against Madagascar, Namibia and Angola.
Namibia failed to make the semis after finishing third in Group B with one win and two defeats. They lost their opening two matches 3-0 to South Africa and 2-1 to Lesotho, but came storming back in style on Thursday when they beat Angola 3-0 without dropping a game.
Johan Theron beat Marco Silva 6-0, 6-0; Tadiwa Mombeyarara beat Italo Tuluca 6-0, 6-0, and Theron and Mombeyarara beat Silva and Tuluca 6-0, 6-0.
In the girls u14 category, South Africa will take on Botswana while Zimbabwe will face Lesotho in Friday’s semifinals.
South Africa finished on top of Group B after beating both Lesotho and Namibia 3-0; while Zimbabwe finished on top of Group A after beating Botswana 2-1, Angola 3-0 and Mozambique 3-0.
Namibia finished bottom of Group B after losing 3-0 to both South Africa and Lesotho.
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