Everything was straight down the line at the annual Wilson Marks Park Open event.
Marks Park Sports Club was the tournament’s host club and main venue, though six other venues in Johannesburg were also used.
This is always a hotly anticipated event on the Tennis South Africa calendar. This year it saw 384 players enter in hopes they would ultimately win the competition held over the recent long weekend.
Women’s singles final was a closely contended three-setter as Lilitha Ndungane hung in to beat Korona Rugara 5/7 6/4 6/3. LJ Fick beat Wian Roothman in the final of the men’s singles event, taking the title with a 6/4 7/6 victory.
According to event organiser Lynda Johnson, such a tournament provides a high level of competitive tennis for all age groups. “From juniors starting their tennis journey, to young adults aspiring to make their way onto the professional circuit, to mature players who enjoy the challenge of playing at a high level.”
Tennis players from Gauteng central, east and north, as well as those from Limpopo, North-West Province, Free State, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape competed. They ranged in age from seven to 10 years old, in orange and green ball events across the spectrum, to adults playing in men’s and women’s events.
The event was yet again sponsored by Wilson, which enabled organisers to give cash prizes at all levels with a generous amount being paid to the winners of the men’s and women’s singles events.
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