Luanda - The Angolan tennis player Jolino Simao obtained Wednesday, in Luanda, the second position of the African Circuit Under 14 years old in male category, after he lost tot Marcus Simane, from Botswana, in the final match played in the courts of the Kikuxi Villas Club Academy, in Viana Municipality.
In singles matches, the National Team and the Luanda Tennis Club (LTF) player lost by a difficult two sets to one, with scores of 3-6, 6-0 and 5-10 (tie break).
To reach the last phase of the competition, part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) calendar, in both male and female, the country´s representative beat Tuesday the Mozambican Rosa Amine, by 1-6, 6-1 and 6-4, in the semi-final.
On the same day, the Angolan´s opponent in the final, Marcus Simane, beat Pedro Alberto also from Mozambique.
The doubles' victory was won by the Mozambican Lezley Jemusse/Amine Rosa duo, who beat the Angolan Joaquim Domingos/Jolino Simão, by the same 6-1 score.
As for the female sector, in individual category, in the final the Zimbabwean Charle Chapepa beat Ndidi Osaji from Nigeria by 6-0 and 61, after overcoming the Mozambican Siena Esteves and Lorena Celestino, in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Regarding the Angolan players, which in singles matches did not have the expected success, in doubles, Ana João and Dandara Roque were also in the second position, after losing to the duo Charle Chapepa (Zimbabwe) and Ndidi Osaji (Nigeria), by 4-6 and 3-6.
On Monday, in the quarterfinals, in singles, Ana João was beaten by Charle Chapepa, by two sets to zero, with the partial of 6-2 and 6-1, while Dandara Roque was defeated by the Mozambican Siena Esteves, by double 6-1.
The Angolan men´s and women´s teams were coached by Gil Fortunato, resident in Portugal, and José Almeida, from the Kikuxi Villas Club Academy.
The event which was opened by the minister of Youth and Sports, Palmira Barbosa, serves as a score for the ITF/CAT ranking, had the participation of fifty tennis players representing Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
It was organized by the Angolan Tennis Federation (FAT), in partnership with the Luanda Provincial Tennis Association and Kikuxi Villas Club Academy, the first edition of the event marks the beginning of Angola´s participation in ITF and CAT international competitions, contributing to the country´s sporting prestige.
In the past decade, Angola has already hosted some international tournaments, such as the one of the Angola Airlines (TAAG), being the last one more recent, inserted in the Games of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), in the courts of the Tennis Club of Luanda (CTL), in Coqueiros, in 2014.
Classification table:
Men's Singles
1 – Marcus Simone (Botswana)
2 – Jolino Simão (Angola)
Men´s Pairs
1 – Lezley Jemusse/Amine Rosa (Moçambique)
2 – Joaquim Domingos/Jolino Simão (Angola)
Women’s Singles
1 – Charle Chapepa (Zimbabwe)
2 – Ndidi Osaji (Nigeria)
Women's Pairs
1 – Charle Chapepa /Ndidi Osaji (Zimbabwe/Nigeria)
2- Ana João/Dandara Roque (Angola).
