by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – HIGH profile junior international tennis will return to South Africa next month after a lengthy spell in the doldrums because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Tennis South Africa (TSA) has confirmed it will host five International Tennis Federation (ITF) events for the youngsters, to be held from late August to late October.
The series will open with a Grade 4 tournament in the capital Pretoria, followed by a Grade 3 competition in Johannesburg.
These will be followed by a Curro Grade 3 event and a Curro Grade 2 event in Strand, Western Cape.
The fifth and final tournament of the junior series will be the Samaai Junior Open, a Junior Grade A tournament, to be hosted in Cape Town.
The Samaai Junior Open, named after local tennis legend, David Samaai, who passed away in 2019, is one of only six ITF Grade A tournaments hosted globally.
Kholo Montsi, the South African teen star, captured the Grade A title at the inaugural Samaai Junior Open two years ago.
It enabled the 18-year-old to break into the top 20 of the global ITF junior rankings.
The tournaments South Africa will host are ranking events for boys and girls and form part of the ITF’s Junior World Tennis Tour circuit.
“These five international events provide a critical launch-pad for our emerging junior stars, as it provides them with multiple opportunities to earn valuable junior ranking points in home conditions,” said Tennis South Africa Chief Executive Officer, Richard Glover.
He lamented that COVID-19 made international tournament planning extremely complicated across all sporting codes in South Africa.
“However, we are confident these events will take place as scheduled. Tennis is a non-contact, individual sport and with the correct safety protocols in place, is an extremely low risk activity, in a pandemic environment,” Glover added.
– CAJ News