Potchefstroom, South Africa – South African junior tennis ace, Christiaan Worst won his second international singles title in as many weeks on Saturday in Potchefstroom.
The Pretoria based Worst, seeded twelve and a member of Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool, won the ITFNWU-PUKKE 2 at the Riaan Venter Tennis Academy beating compatriot Rikhardt Bierman, seeded eleven, 3-6 7-5 6-2 in the rain interrupted final. After dropping the opening set, Worst found his groove in the second set and finally made the all-important break of serve in the eleventh game and held serve to win the set and even the match. Worst continued playing confidently in the final set, and broke an “out of sorts” Bierman again in the fifth game of that set and held to win the set, match and title.
Last week, Worst captured his first international title at the same venue and was overjoyed with having repeated the feat this week. “I am really proud of my achievements. I never expected this although I always play to win and now to have won two titles in a row is very, very special” said Worst.
Worst said that he had put a lot of work into his game this year and it was paying off. His Uncle, former South African Davis Cup player, Danie Visser agreed. “We started the year on a mission to get Christiaan to improve his work ethic and mind set and set realistic aims and objective. I am very happy that Christiaan has made the most of the opportunities thrown at him and is reaping the rewards of the hard work put in” said Visser.
The girls singles was dominated by the foreign players with Israel’s Shavit Kimchi, seeded 6, needing less than an hour to beat unseeded Margriet Timmermans of Netherlands 6-3 6-4 in the final.
Timmermans however did not leave Potchefstroom empty handed. The Dutch junior teamed up with her fellow country woman Perla Nieuwboer to win the doubles title. The fourth seeds beat third seeded South African’s, Megan Basson and Myah Petchey 6-1 1-6 10-6 in a battle royal.
Christiaan Worst won a full house of titles when he teamed up with country man, Justin Liebenberg to take the doubles title. Third seeds, Worst and Liebenberg beat 5th seeded Liam Coertzen and Joubert Klopper, also of South Africa 7-5 7-5 in the final
The South African swing of the ITF international junior circuit now moves to Pretoria for new week’s Axnosis ITF to be played at the Brooklyn Union Club.