Pretoria, South Africa - As the Easter holidays approach, the Free State capital Mangaung is gearing itself up for feast of top junior tennis.
Bloemfontein will once again host the Dunlop Free State Challenge from Saturday 19 March to Wednesday 23 March. The tournament is a major event on the national junior tennis calendar and is part of the Tennis South Africa (TSA) Series.
The Dunlop Free State Challenge also is an important warm up event for the South African National Junior Tennis Championships which will also be hosted by Bloemfontein from Thursday 24 March to Tuesday 29 March.
Free State Tennis, hosts of the tournament said that five venues would be used in the greater Bloemfontein area to play the tournament, with the Free State Tennis Stadium being the main site.
The other venues are; University of Free State, Grey College, Eunice High School and Mudd Plein Tennis Club.
So Easter time is proving to be tennis time as over 700 juniors from all over South Africa converge on Mangaung over the next fortnight.
The seeds for the Dunlop Free State Challenge were announced as follows;
Boys
12 and under
1-Connor Van Schalkwyk (Nam)
2-Devin Badenhorst (GN)
3-Gerard Henning (FS)
4-Benjamin Davidyan (WP)
5-Daniel Crowie (GC)
6-Benjamin Scott (GC)
7-Aleksander Simovski (GN)
8-Ernst Gouws (GC)
14 and under
1-Codie Van Schalkwyk (GC)
2-Connor Kruger (GN)
3-Tatenda Mutetwa (GE)
4-Dylan Salton (GE)
5-Nikolai Hensberg (Bor)
6-Luan Krige (WP)
7-Tom McHugh (WP)
8-William Zulch (GC)
16 and under
1-Philip Henning (FS)
2-Marno Stander (WP)
3-Charl Morgan (GC)
4-Pierre Malan (WP)
5-Aaron Marks (WP)
6-Joubert Klopper (FS)
7-Gerhard Swart (GN)
8-Gerhardt Becker (GN)
Men
1-Bertus Kruger (GC)
2-Richard Thongoana (GC)
3-Jandre Lessing (EP)
4-Sipho Montsi (GN)
5-Nikolai Manchev (KZN)
6-Christian Van Der Wath (Bol)
7-Juan-Louis Van Antwer (GC)
8-Hubert Badenhorst (FS)
Girls
12 and under
1-Suzanie Pretorius (FS)
2-Line Greyling (FS)
3-Leigh Van Zyl (Bol)
4-Naledi Manyube (SWD)
5-Marjuzel Venter (NC)
6-Martina Garnevska (GN)
7-Caitlyn Zietsman (EP)
8-Heike Janse Van Vuure (Bol)
14 and under
1-Alta Brink (Bol)
2-Gizelle Naude (FS)
3-Christine Kruger (FS)
4-Maretha Burger (Bol)
5-Inge Greyling (FS)
6-Kylie Misdorp (KZN)
7-Megan Basson (GC)
8-Mieke Van Deventer (GC)
16 and under
1-Lara Van Der Merwe (NWP)
2-Bianca Wolmarans (Bol)
3-Myah Petchey (WP)
4-Evangeline Du Toit (Bol)
5-Carmen Fichardt (FS)
6-Delien Kleinhans (FS)
7-Lungile Ntuli (WP)
8-Mia Dittberner (GN)
Women
1-Maxine Bateman (KZN)
2-Tayla Van Eck (GC)
3-Bianca Koen (GN)
4-Angela Georgieva (GC)
5-Minette Van Vreden (Bol)
6-Amelie Boy (MRI)
7-Imaan Hassim (GC)
8-Megan Lombardi (WP)