Chronicle Editor
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
RISING tennis star Kudzai Chapepa pulled a shocker to clinch the Wilson Gauteng Grand Prix in Pretoria, South Africa, on Friday.
Chapepa, who was unseeded, claimed the scalps of the two top seeds on her way to winning her first tournament of the year.
Chapepa (12) beat top seed, South African Alme Van Schalkwyk, 6-2, 6-3 in the final to lift the 14 and under age group category trophy.
On her way to the final, the Bulawayo-based starlet dispatched another South African Simone Faver 6-0, 6-0 in the first round before making light work of Tania Venter with the same score line.
In the quarter-finals, she showed her prowess to beat second seed Moroesi Tuoane 6-0, 6-2, while in the semi-finals she rolled over fourth seed Ciaran McConnell 6-2, 6-0.
Other local players that took part in the tournament include Chapepa’s younger sister Kuzivaishe (9), who took part in the 12 and under category where she claimed sixth position after losing in the quarter-finals to Milan Swanepoel, 0-6, 1-6.
Kuziva had beaten compatriot Tanaka Mhlanga 6-1, 6-1 in the first round and Leago Marokane 6-2 6-2 in the second round before losing to Swanepoel.
She battled with Savannah Oliver for the fifth/sixth position and lost 6-7(6), 1-6.
Mhlanga (10) finished 20th as she lost to Gabriella Steytler 4-6, 2-6, while Emily George (9) beat Gabriella Coetzee, 6-3, 6-0 to clinch ninth place in the 12 years and under category.
The quartet has been in South Africa since December and have played in various tournaments, as they sought game time since there has been little activity locally.
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