Wheelchair tennis player in World Cup Team

Limpopo wheelchair tennis player Danny Mohlamonyane is included in the Wheelchair Tennis South Africa’s (WTSA) quad team to represent the country in the prestigious 2018 BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) flagship wheelchair tennis team event to be staged at Apeldoorn, Netherlands from 28 May to 3 June.
According to WTSA national public relations manager Anthony Moruthane 44 teams from 25 countries will take part in this year’s cup. Netherlands will stage the event, for the fourth time, with men’s, women’s, quad and junior events held across two venues, Tennis Club de Sprenkelaar and Tennis Club de Maten.
The South African team includes two-time Grand Slam champion Lucas Sithole who reached the semi-final round at last week’s Japan Open following a straight-sets defeat by American world number 1 David Wagner. Sithole will team up with Mohlamonyane.
This year’s event will be Mohlamonyane’s third World Team Cup and said he’s primed for the challenge. “I am very excited about this opportunity. It really is an honour and privilege to be chosen to compete at the World Team Cup,” he was quoted in a recent press statement.
“I am one of a lucky few that have had the honour of representing my country at the highest level and on the ultimate world stage, and it will remain one of the highlights of my career,” he added.
The team will participate in the World Team Cup for the first time since 2016 when the former US Open champion Sithole together with the late Bongani Dlamini and Mohlamonyane were overpowered and downed by Israel, top seeds Great Britain and Canada. The team clinched seventh position with a decisive 2-0 over Italy in the 7/8th place play-off.
“Sithole just returned home from two tournaments in Asia, the Korea Open and Japan Open, so that served as a good preparation for him ahead of the World Team Cup. On the other hand, Mohlamonyane has been training very hard, we are confident the two will do the country proud,” said WTSA General Manager Karen Losch.

Story: RC Myburgh
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