17 Aug 2025

Botswana tennis players will get a second shot at glory in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors tournament, which kicks off its second leg on August 18.

After a disappointing first stage where most players were eliminated early, the young athletes are back on the court, hoping to capitalise on their home-court advantage.

In the singles, rising star Malak Macheng suffered a 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Catarina Braun of Portugal.

Angela Chakanyuka lost 7-6, 6-2 to South Africa’s Nina Pieterse, while Bashali Phatswane also lost to South Africa’s Lyndsey Phillips 6-2, 6-3.

Katlego Regoeng lost 6-2, 6-1 to Tshepang Maisela of South Africa while Martin Seetso was knocked out in the second round. Seabo Saleshando finished in the quarterfinals in the singles and doubles.

However, in the second leg, the local players are expected to enjoy the home-ground advantage and produce good results.

Botswana Tennis Association vice president, Nonofo Othusitse said despite the players not doing well, they had positives from the first leg.

Othusitse said they had seven boys and five girls in the main draw, adding that what motivated them was the fact that most of the players were as young as 13-years-old.

He also said they witnessed some promising performances from the likes of Chakanyuka and Seetso. Othusitse highlighted that not only did Seetso display a brave performance, but he also earned his first ITF Junior ranking points.

Furthermore, he said for Saleshando to reach the quarterfinals in the boys’ singles and semifinals in the doubles was a commendable feat. “We are therefore expecting these performances to improve in the next leg. All in all, we expect to see improvements in our players’ rankings at the end of the two weeks,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the second leg gets underway, the spotlight would be on the young athletes to see if they would be able to turn their fortunes around.

Owing to the valuable experience gained from the first leg and the unwavering support of their home crowd, the players are poised to demonstrate their full potential.

All eyes would be on the court as they strive to achieve better results, improve their rankings and make their mark on the international stage. ENDS