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Maripa believes he will shine in Soweto

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Positive: Wheelchair tennis ace Evans Maripa is confident he will win. Picture: Leon Sadiki
Positive: Wheelchair tennis ace Evans Maripa is confident he will win. Picture: Leon Sadiki

Brimming with confidence, wheelchair tennis star Evans Maripa hopes to win the Joburg Open, which will be held at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Soweto next Sunday.

Speaking to City Press on Thursday, the South African men’s wheelchair tennis number one said he was looking forward to the event and giving a good performance.

The 26-year-old player made an impression last month after clinching two titles in Israel (a singles and a doubles) and a doubles title in Poland this month.

Maripa overpowered world number 18 Ezequiel Casco from Argentina in straight sets to claim his first Israel Open singles gold without dropping a set in the tournament.

“After winning titles in Poland and Israel, I am hoping to get more,” he said.

However, Maripa said that there were players who may pose a challenge.

“I am confident that I can win the tournament, but the Japanese Yoshinobu Fujimoto and [Alwande] Skhosana may be my biggest competitors.”

The Joburg Open marks the first time that an international wheelchair tennis tournament of this magnitude will be hosted in a township.

After two days, players will have another chance to impress and garner points in the Soweto Open, the International Tennis Federation Futures event that will take place from July 7 to 10.

Maripa said he would not be playing at the Soweto Open as it offers less points to boost his ranking, and he would also like to give rising stars a chance to accumulate much-needed points.

The two tournaments, which form part of the Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour, have attracted top entries locally and a few foreign players.

Some of the local top-ranked aces scheduled to play include two-time Grand Slam champion Lucas Sithole, who lost in the semifinals of the French Open to his nemesis David Wagner.

Other notable local players who will be looking to put in a good showing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd include four-time Soweto Open champion Leon Els, four-time Soweto Open runner-up Mariska Venter and two-time Soweto Open quads champion Danny Mohlamonyane.

They will battle it out against international stars from Switzerland and Israel.

Both tournaments will have men’s, women’s and quads’ divisions, each comprising of singles and doubles draws.

Tournament director Patrick Selepe said: “This is a great opportunity for our local players to garner world-ranking points and get a taste of an international competition on their home soil. We are very excited to host these events and look forward to some world-class wheelchair tennis in Soweto.”

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