Jurgens Strydom progressed to the final of the ITF South and Central African Junior Tennis Tournament in Windhoek after beating Wesley Baptiste of South Africa 6-4, 6-1 on July 4.
After a tough first set, the top-seeded Namibian?s powerful all-round game proved too much, as he comfortably won the second set. Strydom is now on course to win the title for the second year in a row after he beat South Africa?s Kevin Kerr in the singles final of the corresponding tournament in Windhoek in 2004.
Strydom, however, will have his work cut out against the second seeded Rupesh Roy of Indonesia. Roy was consistency personified in the second semifinal against South Africa?s Ruan Roelofse, as he won the match 6-2, 6-3. Roy?s returns and groundstrokes in particular were very impressive and Strydom will have to be at his best to retain his title.
The girls singles final will be contested between South Africa Marne Roos and compatriot Justine Sutherland. The fifth seeded Roos beat the third seeded Engela Oliver of South Africa 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, while the fourth seeded Sutherland beat the second seeded Chane Hines of South Africa 6-4, 6-1.
Namibians? doubles run ends
The boys doubles final will be contested between Wesley Baptiste and Tucker Voster of South Africa and Lofo Ramiaramanana of Madagascar and Bokang Setshogo of Botswana.
The third seeded Baptiste and Voster beat Namibia?s Jurgens Strydom and Johan de Wit 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, while the second seeded Ramiaramanana and Setshogo beat Takura Happy and Takanyi Garaganga of Zimbabwe 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.
In the girls doubles semifinals, fourth seeded Justine Sutherland and Abigail Oliver of South Africa beat second seeded Chane Hines and Marne Roos of South Africa 6-0, 6-0.
They will meet the winners between top seeds Suzelle Davin and Elrien de Villiers of Namibia and third seeds Jane Pringle and Engela Oliver of South Africa.