All hope now rests on Lucas Sithole – South Africa’s last wheelchair tennis player capable of winning a medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
The Westdene resident lost to Australia’s Alcott Dylan in the quads singles semi-final 6–0, 6–3 on 12 September but will play for a bronze medal on 14 September. He will play against America’s David Wagner, an old rival.
All this because Wheelchair Tennis South Africa (WTSA) suffered a triple defeat on 11 September. South Africa’s number one men’s player, Evans Maripa, also a Westdene resident, crashed out in the men’s singles second round to Japan’s Miki Takuya 7–6 (1), 7–5. He and teammate Leon Els also lost in the second round of the men’s doubles against Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and Ledesma Agustin 7–5, 6–2.
Then women’s player, and former Westdene resident, Kgothatso (KG) Montjane lost in the women’s singles second round to China’s Zhenzhen Zhu 6–4, 4–6, 7–5.
When WTSA held a farewell brunch for the team in August, Gauteng Premier, David Makhura said, “It is not a question of whether or not there will be medals, but what kind of medals [the team will win].”
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