Bezuidenhout, Hinda win Senior Masters titles

Tennis
Mariud Ngula
  • 23 Hours Ago
Joanivia Bezuidenhout and Nguvi Hinda were crowned Namibia’s tennis champions at this year’s Senior Masters Championships in the women’s and men’s singles, respectively, at Olympia’s Central Tennis Courts in Windhoek on Sunday.

Namibia Tennis Association’s (NTA) invitational showpiece began on Friday, featuring two round-robin rounds. Saturday saw two more round-robin rounds, followed by playoffs later that day and the final on Sunday.

The tournament is a prestigious highlight on the NTA calendar, featuring only the top eight players nationwide, ranked according to points accumulated across tournaments throughout the season.



Joanivia’s title race

Competing in the women’s section, second-seeded Bezuidenhout was drawn in the same pool with fourth-seed Leandre Louw, Ndeumono Wilhelm and Secilia Nghitewapo.

The other pool featured top-seed Mari van Schalkwyk, third-seed Elrica Nakusera, Kaylar Amutse and Larushka Kruger.

Bezuidenhout enjoyed her run in the pool, winning most of her matches 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. She only dropped a single set to Nghitewapo, winning 6-0, 6-1 in her first encounter of the tournament.

Having topped her pool, she advanced to a semi-final against the runner-up from the opposite pool, Larushka Kruger, dominating once again with a comfortable 6-0, 6-0 scoreline to reach the final.

The final was a marquee matchup between the top two seeds, Joanivia Bezuidenhout and Mari van Schalkwyk, marking a repeat of last season’s encounter that ended with Van Schalkwyk winning the overall title.

This season’s meeting equally kept spectators on the edge of their seats, going the full distance to three sets.

Bezuidenhout took the first set comfortably 6-1 before Van Schalkwyk found her rhythm to level the match 7-6(9) after a tense tie-break, but fell again in the third set 6-3, handing the title to the new champion. The women’s bronze medal went to Larushka Kruger.



Comeback from second-best last year

Reflecting on the victory, Joanivia described it as “an amazing feeling” that reflects her hard work towards the overall title.

She said what she did differently this year was taking time away from her opponent, which gave her opportunities to attack at the net.

“In the second set, I let her come a bit more into the rallies, [which cost me the set],” she said.

In the final set, she tried to play it safe, “but aggressively,” relying on her mental strength to carry her through.

“I had prepared physically and mentally for a third set, so I liked my chances,” said Bezuidenhout.

She now has her sights set on a second title at the Junior Tennis Masters Championships from 31 October to 1 November at the same venue, and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) U18 World Junior Tour in Botswana and Zimbabwe later this year.



Nguvi’s title race

Competing in the men’s section, top-seeded Nguvi Hinda was the favourite to win. He was drawn in a pool alongside fourth seed Henlou du Toit, Elias Shikongo and Jaden van der Westhuizen.

The other pool comprised second-seed Ronaldo Uirab, third-seed Lorenzo Danster, Lian Kuhn and Dante Marcus.

Hinda enjoyed his run, winning all his round-robin matches with identical 6-0, 6-2 scorelines. He faced Danster in the semi-finals, taking the first set 6-3. The second set saw Hinda lead 3-0 before his opponent retired.

This season’s final was an encounter between two fresh contenders, Hinda and Kuhn, as last year’s finalists, Kendall Swartz and eventual champion Dickson Phiri, did not make the cut.

Hinda dominated 6-3, 6-0 to secure the overall title. Lorenzo Danster secured third place.

Hinda welcomed the victory, recounting a slow start to the year that affected his morale. He has since put in countless hours in the gym, despite picking up an injury along the way.

“Having recovered from the injury, I feel I am playing the best tennis of my career. Despite a few mistakes, regaining my focus and rhythm [made all the difference],” he said.

Hinda looked forward to celebrating his victory with an ice bath and taking a week off to rest.

“I will come straight back into training after that to prepare for the Swakopmund Tennis Open from 18 to 21 December,” he said.

– mariud@nsh.com.na