20 Aug 2025

Following the end of the journey for other Botswana players in the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30, all eyes will be on Seabo Saleshando and Rethabile Moshaoa as the duo head into their next matches today.

Saleshando and Moshaoa will take the court against Asher Shimbarashe of Zimbabwe and Angelique van der Walt of South Africa respectively.

This comes after an impressive start, as young tennis players made their mark at the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30.

Both Moshaoa and Saleshando advanced to the second round of the tournament, bringing pride to the nation and showcasing the promising future of the local players.

Moshaoa joined Saleshando as the second player from the country to proceed to the second round after a dominant performance, while Saleshando secured his spot with a strong showing on Monday.

Their victories highlight the growing talent in the local sport and set a positive tone for the remainder of the tournament.

Moshaoa advanced to the second round of the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 girls’ singles after a decisive victory over Zimbabwe’s Noleen Mavondo, winning 6-1, 6-0, yesterday.

In a post-match interview, Moshaoa shared her strategy, saying “during the first set, I managed to set myself up with powerful serves, and my opponent’s short balls gave me more opportunities to attack.”

It would seem that her aggressive style of play put Noleen under pressure throughout the match.

“The moment I sat back and didn’t attack, she felt comfortable, not knowing I was building up points and waiting for the right opportunity to pounce,” she explained. Moshaoa also noted that a swift return to her strong serves from the first set helped her secure the win.

In another highly anticipated match played yesterday, local player Katlego Regoeng was pitted against Dehan Van Deventer, the first-leg champion of the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 boys’ singles.

Despite a valiant effort that had earned him a fan following, Regoeng, known as ‘Cat-Man,’ was defeated 6-0, 6-0.

Regoeng was however, not discouraged by the draw, stating that he knew what to expect. He said he had prepared for the match with his coach, focusing on tactics. “We knew how to beat the opponent, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy to play against him. I was physically fit and mentally ready for everything,” he said.

He admitted to feeling nervous at the start of the match, which caused him to miss a step, but he was able to adapt. “I knew the tactics, but I was not able to execute them. But I was happy with how I played and I learned a lot and will take a lot of positives from this match,” he added.

Cat-Man, however, expressed concern that other local tennis players were not performing well in the tournament, adding that most of them were not mentally ready. “I think we are afraid of some players.

Once we hear their names, we start panicking. But it is a process, as we grow with the game, we will come to the party,” he said.

Nevertheless, he believed that with the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) continuing to host major events, it would help build the players’ confidence. He expressed his plans to compete in the J60 tournament in Gaborone in October, where he expects to do better.

In other matches yesterday, South Africa’s Jamie Roux defeated Kgosi Tomeletso 6-1, 6-0 and Martin Seetso lost 6-2, 7-6(2) to South Africa’s Nhlakanipho Ngwenga. ENDS