SA’s Maripa bags double wheelchair tennis glory

SOUTH Africa’s top wheelchair tennis men’s player Evans Maripa bagged both the singles and doubles titles at the Israel Open in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, yesterday.

Maripa overpowered world No 18 Ezequiel Casco from Argentina in straight sets to claim his first Israel Open singles gold without dropping a set in the tournament.

The 26-year-old dominated from start to finish in the final of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) level 2 event to defeat the Argentinian 6-1 6-4. It was a double delight for the world No 13 from Limpopo, as he targets a move up the world rankings. “My confidence is so high, I’m playing my best tennis ever at the moment and I hope I can keep it up going forward,” added Maripa, who will be heading to the Czech Republic for the Vinci Czech Open on Wednesday.

Maripa and doubles partner David Dalmasso from France teamed up and went on to win the men’s doubles title, beating Argentinian pair of Casco and Agustin Ledesma 6-3, 6-3 in the final. “Nothing beats the feeling of ending a tournament with a win, so winning the doubles as well and taking home two titles makes me really happy,” Maripa added.

After the Vinci Czech Open, the 26-year-old will move on to represent South Africa in the Plock Orlen Polish Open in Poland from May 30-June 3. – ANA