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Randburg Open 2022
Men's Draw
19 - 23 Oct
Johannesburg, South Africa, $6k |
Final:
[3] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt [2] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 11-7,
5-11, 11-4, 11-8 (61m)
Semi-finals:
[3] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt [1] Edwin Clain (FRA) 11-8, 11-9,
11-3 (38m)
[2] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [4] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) 11-5, 11-9,
7-11, 6-11, 11-4 (63m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Élise Romba (FRA) bt [9/16] Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) 9-11, 11-5,
11-7, 13-15, 11-8 (50m)
[3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) bt [5] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA)
13-11, 11-6, 11-8 (29m)
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bt [9/16] Alexa Pienaar (RSA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3
(21m)
[9/16] Nour Khafagy (EGY) bt [8] Helena Coetzee (RSA) 11-5, 11-5, 13-11
(28m)
2nd round:
[1] Edwin Clain (FRA) bt Nathanael Ndebele (RSA) 11-9, 11-5, 12-10 (33m)
[9/16] Shamil Wakeel (SRI) bt [8] Paul Gonzalez (FRA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
(44m)
[9/16] Yusuf Elsherif (EGY) bt [5] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) w/o
[3] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt [9/16] Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek (EGY)
11-4, 12-10, 11-1 (45m)
[4] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bt [9/16] Ruan Olivier (RSA) 11-4, 4-11,
11-6, 10-12, 12-10 (73m)
[7] Laszlo Godde (FRA) bt [9/16] Damian Groenewald (RSA) 8-11, 11-5,
11-9, 11-9 (56m)
[9/16] Tristen Worth (RSA) bt [6] Seif Nasser (EGY) 11-6, 12-10, 11-4
(29m)
[2] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Gerard Mitchell (RSA) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4
(29m)
1st round:
[1] Edwin Clain (FRA) bye
Nathanael Ndebele (RSA) bt [9/16] Hayden Worth (RSA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-9
(30m)
[9/16] Shamil Wakeel (SRI) bt Tertius de Bruin (RSA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4
(24m)
[8] Paul Gonzalez (FRA) bye
[5] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) bye
[9/16] Yusuf Elsherif (EGY) bt Jonty Matthys (RSA) 11-7, 12-10, 10-12,
11-4 (56m)
[9/16] Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek (EGY) bt Diodivine Mkhize (RSA) 11-5,
11-6, 11-4 (31m)
[3] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bye
[4] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bye
[9/16] Ruan Olivier (RSA) bt Gary Wheadon (RSA) 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6
(38m)
[9/16] Damian Groenewald (RSA) bt Youssef Matta (EGY) 13-11, 11-4, 11-5
(31m)
[7] Laszlo Godde (FRA) bye
[6] Seif Nasser (EGY) bye
[9/16] Tristen Worth (RSA) bt Muhammad Essa (PAK) 11-2, 11-5, 11-3 (18m)
Gerard Mitchell (RSA) bt [9/16] Moeen Ud Din (PAK) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4
(28m)
[2] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bye |
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Randburg Open 2022
Women's Draw
19 - 23 Oct
Johannesburg, South Africa, $6k |
Final:
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bt [1] Élise Romba (FRA) 11-8, 11-7, 15-13
(29m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Élise Romba (FRA) bt [3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) 11-8, 8-11,
11-7, 11-4 (38m)
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bt [9/16] Nour Khafagy (EGY) 9-11, 11-9, 9-11,
11-8, 12-10 (61m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Élise Romba (FRA) bt [9/16] Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) 9-11, 11-5,
11-7, 13-15, 11-8 (50m)
[3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) bt [5] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA)
13-11, 11-6, 11-8 (29m)
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bt [9/16] Alexa Pienaar (RSA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3
(21m)
[9/16] Nour Khafagy (EGY) bt [8] Helena Coetzee (RSA) 11-5, 11-5, 13-11
(28m)
2nd round:
[1] Élise Romba (FRA) bt [9/16] Kimberley Mcdonald (RSA) 11-4, 11-4,
11-7 (24m)
[9/16] Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) bt [6] Teagan Roux (RSA) 11-9, 7-11, 7-11,
11-7, 11-7 (46m)
[5] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA) bt Angelique Clifton-Parks (RSA) 11-7,
7-11, 11-8, 11-7 (25m)
[3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) bt [9/16] Shelomi Truter (RSA) 11-8,
4-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-2 (37m)
[9/16] Alexa Pienaar (RSA) bt [4] Kara Lincou (FRA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4
(31m)
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bt [9/16] Mariska Wiese (RSA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4
(31m)
[8] Helena Coetzee (RSA) bt [9/16] Awande Malinga (RSA) 11-8, 11-8,
10-12, 11-5 (36m)
[9/16] Nour Khafagy (EGY) bt [2] Nour Megahed (EGY) 11-8, 9-11, 9-11,
12-10, 11-8 (54m)
1st round:
[1] Élise Romba (FRA) bye
[9/16] Kimberley Mcdonald (RSA) bt Megan Shannon (RSA) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
(23m)
[9/16] Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) bt Chante Leppan (RSA) 11-5, 11-6, 11-5
(19m)
[6] Teagan Roux (RSA) bye
[5] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA) bye
Angelique Clifton-Parks (RSA) bt [9/16] Jess McDonald (RSA) 11-5, 11-5,
11-8 (27m)
[9/16] Shelomi Truter (RSA) bt Bongi Seroto (RSA) 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (28m)
[3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) bye
[4] Kara Lincou (FRA) bye
[9/16] Alexa Pienaar (RSA) bt Nadia Dippenaar (RSA) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
(20m)
[9/16] Mariska Wiese (RSA) bt Kaylee Hunt (RSA) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 3-11,
11-6 (37m)
[7] Cheyna Wood (RSA) bye
[8] Helena Coetzee (RSA) bye
[9/16] Awande Malinga (RSA) bt Favour Utukpe (NGR) w/o
[9/16] Nour Khafagy (EGY) bt Jordyn Campbell (RSA) 11-2, 11-6, 11-7
(23m)
[2] Nour Megahed (EGY) bye |
South Africa’s Wood and van Niekerk Victorious
The PaybyFace Randburg Open came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon,
with home favourites Dewald van Niekerk and Cheyna Wood taking
victories.
Van Niekerk came into the men’s tournament as the No.3 seed, and started
his campaign in the second round against Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek, where
he won in straight games. He then got the better of another Egyptian, in
Yusuf Elsherif, to make it through to the semi-finals.
In the last four, the South African got the better of top seed Edwin
Clain, downing the Frenchman in straight games. That set up a meeting in
the final with another Frenchman, in No.2 seed Toufik Mekhalfi. The pair
were level through two games, but van Niekerk came through to win in
four to secure the title on home soil.
He was joined in the winners’ circle by another South African, in Cheyna
Wood. She came into the event as the No.7 seed, and after her first
round bye, the South African got the better of compatriot Mariska Wiese
in straight games. That was followed with a win over Alexa Pienaar, also
in three.
Wood moved into the last four, where she came up against Egypt’s Nour
Khafagy. In her biggest battle of the week, the South African had to
come from behind to win in five, claiming the win in a tie-break 12-10.
That set up a meeting with top seed Elise Romba in the final, and Wood
won in straight games to claim the PaybyFace Randburg Open crown.
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van Niekerk Downs Top Seed To Make Final
Home favourite Dewald van Niekerk took down the top seed at the Pay by
Face Randburg Open, after beating top seed Edwin Clain in the last four
in South Africa.
Van Niekerk came into the tournament as the No.3 seed, and he took on
the top seed in the last four of the Challenger 5 level competition. The
South African used the home advantage, defeating Clain in straight games
in 38 minutes to advance to the final.
He will take on another Frenchman in the final, in No.2 seed Toufik
Mekhalfi. The World No.180 overcame South Africa’s Jean-Pierre Brits in
five games. He had to survive a comeback from the home hope, before
regrouping to win in the fifth game of the competition.
The women’s final will also see a France-South Africa battle, with top
seed Elise Romba taking on home favourite Cheyna Wood. The South African
came from behind to defeat Egypt’s Nour Khafagy in a five-game battle,
while Romba downed Ukrainian Anastasiia Kostiukova in four games.
The finals of the PaybyFace Randburg Open will take place on Sunday,
October 23, with both finals featuring South Africa against France.
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Unseeded Trio Through In Both Draws
There were plenty of surprise results on the second day of the PaybyFace
Randburg Open, with six unseeded players making it into the quarter
finals of the Challenger 5 level competition.
The biggest upset came in the women’s draw, as Nour Khafagy downed No.2
seed Nour Megahed in an all-Egyptian encounter. Khafagy found herself
2-1 down in the contest, but fought back with a 12-10 win in the fourth
to send the match into a deciding game. She was able to win that as
well, 11-8, to knock out the No.2 seed and advance to the last eight.
The other shocks in the women’s draw saw Egypt’s Shahd Elrefaey and
South Africa’s Alexa Pienaar make it into the quarter finals. The former
overcame No.6 seed Teagan Leigh Roux in a five-game battle, while
Pienaar got the better of Frenchwoman Kara Lincou, the tournament’s No.4
seed.
In the men’s event, Tristen Worth made it three South Africans through
to the last eight, thanks to his surprise win over No.6 seed Seif Nasser
in straight games. He will be joined by No.3 seed Dewald van Niekerk and
No.4 seed Jean-Pierre Brits as the home hopes in the quarter finals.
Elsewhere, Sri Lanka’s Shamil Wakeel defeated No.8 seed Paul Gonzalez in
straight games, and Egypt’s Yusuf Elsherif received a walkover into the
last eight after No.5 seed Adegoke Onaopemipo was unable to take to the
court for their second round clash.
The quarter finals of the PaybyFace Randburg Open will take place on
Friday, October 21, with all the action coming from Johannesburg.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or
follow on
PSAChallengerTourLivestreams,
Facebook,
Instagram,
TikTok,
Twitter.
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Opening Day Sees Several South African Wins
It was a good day for the home hopes at the PaybyFace Randburg Open,
with eleven South Africans taking victory to move through to the second
round of the Challenger 5 level competition.
Six of those came in the women’s event, with Angie Clifton-Parks causing
the sole upset in the draw. She got the better of compatriot Jess
McDonald, who was one of the 9/16 seeds for the tournament.
Kimberley McDonald, Shelomi Truter, Awande Malinga, Alexa Pienaar and
Mariska Wiese also made it through on home soil. The latter had to
survive a five-game battle against fellow South African Kaylee Hunt, but
came through after 38 minutes of action.
In the men’s event, Gerard Mitchell and Nathanael Ndebele were the two
South Africans to cause seeding upsets, as they got the better of
Pakistan’s Moeen Ud Din and another South African, in Hayden Worth,
respectively.
Elsewhere, Ruan Olivier, Damien Groenewald and Tristen Worth also made
it through to the second round of the Challenger 5 level tournament.
They will be joined by Sri Lanka’s Shamil Wakeel and the Egyptian duo of
Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek and Yusuf Elsherif.
The second day of the PaybyFace Randburg Open will take place on
Thursday, October 20, with the top eight seeds in both draws coming into
the competition for the first time.
For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or
follow on
PSAChallengerTourLivestreams,
Facebook,
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Preview
Roux On The
Brink Of First Title
The PaybyFace Randburg Open gets underway on Wednesday, October 19 in
South Africa. The Challenger 5 level tournament will feature both a
men’s and women’s draw.
The French duo of Edwin Clain and Toufik Mekhalfi will lead the men’s
draw, with the South African pair of Dewald van Niekerk and Jean-Pierre
Brits making up the rest of the top four seeds. Another pair of
Frenchman, in Laszlo Godde and Paul Gonzalez, will be in the top eight
seeds for the competition. Nigerian Adegoke Onaopemipo and Egypt’s Seif
Nasser will also be in that bracket.
In total, there will be twelve South Africans featuring on home soil in
the men’s draw, with 2019 WSF World Team Championships member Gary
Wheadon among them. Tristen Worth, Ruan Olivier and Damian Groenewald
will also be in action on home soil.
Like the men’s draw, the women’s event will also be led by a French
player. Elise Romba will be the top seed, and she will be joined by
compatriots Kara Lincou and Lilou Brevard-Belliot in the top eight
seeds. Egypt’s Nour Megahed and Ukraine’s Anastasiia Kostiukova, along
with the South African trio of Teagan Leigh Roux, Cheyna Wood and Jenny
Preece, round out the top eight.
We spoke to Roux prior to the tournament, and the World No.182 believes
that she is edging closer to her maiden Tour title after making the
final of the Assore/Balwin Johannesburg Open in her last outing.
“I have been training extremely hard and I am trusting that all the hard
training will pay off in this upcoming tournament. I believe that I am
playing very well and have made leaps of progress in the last while,”
Roux explained.
“I have learnt that each day is a new day and just because you played
well in a previous match doesn’t mean you must just expect things to
come easy in all matches.
“You need to focus on each match individually and realise that you have
to win the match, no opponent is just going to give it to you. Everyone
wants to win so you always need to make sure that you are ready and well
prepared for every single match.
“It felt very good to make it to the final, obviously I did want to win
it but I came up against an extremely tough opponent in Cheyna Wood. I
feel that I am right on the brink of taking my first title. I have been
putting in all the effort and doing all the preparation so I believe
that the results are coming soon.”
Roux is aiming to follow in the footsteps of South African No.1
Alexandra Fuller, who moved up to a career-high on Monday. To learn from
the new World No.24, along with a host of other compatriots, is key for
Roux as she continues to improve.
“Alex Fuller is such an amazing player and getting to see someone from
South Africa make it so high in the World Rankings is inspiring and
makes me believe that I can also do it,” she explained.
“There is so much to learn from a player like her and it is just amazing
to have someone like her to try and follow in the steps of. We also have
players like Cheyna Wood who reached a high of World No.60 and I have
the opportunity of getting to train with her quite a lot and receive a
lot of guidance and mentorship from her which has been extremely amazing
and helpful.
“We also have Lizelle Muller here in South Africa. She entered the PSA
scene very late but she is extremely talented and has won quite a few
Challenger Tour titles and quite a lot of PSA Satellite events. She has
also helped me see what it takes to be at the top. She has also offered
a lot of insight and guidance for me to take forward into the upcoming
tournaments and matches.”
Roux is currently the World No.182, but has been as high as World No.125
in her short career so far. She knows that consistency is key for her to
move up the rankings once again.
“I need to become more consistent in my performances and just learn to
control the nerves before big games so that I can ensure that my
performance is at its peak,” she explained.
“We also need more PSA tournaments in South Africa to help us reach
these higher rankings. I am hoping to be consistent in winning the
tournaments in South Africa and then taking the step to play more and
more tournaments in other countries. I am very passionate and determined
to get my PSA ranking much higher.”
For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or
follow on
PSAChallengerTourLivestreams,
Facebook,
Instagram,
TikTok,
Twitter.
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