Kuhn, Bezuidenhout win u14 tennis titles

With the top eight positions in each category receiving continental ranking points, the various categories were keenly contested ahead of the selection of a Namibian team that will compete at the u14 African Championships in Cairo next month. In the boys singles competition the third-seeded Kuhn produced a fine comeback to beat the top-seeded Ruben Yssel, 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 in the semifinals, while the second seeded Eduan Schollij beat the fourth-seeded Abraham Alemu 7-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The final was a hard-fought encounter in the hot midday sun, which saw fortunes swaying to and fro.Displaying some strong groundstrokes, Kuhn took the first set 6-4, but he became too erratic in the second, while Schollij played a patient game, forcing his opponent into mistakes, to win the set 6-1.Kuhn managed to compose himself in the third set and after a hard-fought battle, he finally emerged victorious, winning the set 7-6. In the third place playoff, Yssel beat Alemu 6-1, 7-5. The top-seeded Bezuidenhout, meanwhile, won the girls singles title after beating the unseeded Minenhle Moyo in straight sets in the final. Moyo provided some stiff opposition in the first set, before Bezuidenhout prevailed 7-5, but Bezuidenhout stepped up the tempo in the second set to win 6-1 and take the title. In the semifinals, Bezuidenhout beat the fourth seeded Hane Schierschmidt 6-0, 6-2, while Moyo beat the second-seeded Santie van der Walt 6-4, 6-2.Van der Walt won the third place play-off, when Schierschmidt retired injured with Van der Walt leading 5-1 in the first set.Bezuidenhout won a second title when she teamed up with Nieves Borggreve to win the girls doubles title. The top-seeded pair beat the second seeded Van der Walt and Haylee Kidd 6-1, 6-3 in the final. Kuhn also won a second title when he teamed up with Yssel to win the doubles final.The second-seeded pair made a fine comeback to beat the top-seeded Alemu and Schollij 4-6, 6-2, 10-7.The Namibian team that will compete at the Junior African Championships must still be announced.