Promising young PE talent Bouwer nets national title
STAR teenage tennis player Kaylin Bouwer justified her top seeding when she won the Growthpoint Super 8 national title in Durban this month.
The Grade 11 Pearson pupil, 17, defeated Western Province’s Mikayla Loubser 7-6 6-2 in the final, cementing herself as one of South Africa’s promising young talents.
Under the guidance of former professional player Yvonne Vermaak, Bouwer has been a regular winner of age-group titles and has represented a number of South African junior teams.
Because there is not that much depth in Eastern Cape competition, Bouwer often has to travel to compete against the best, and her Durban success is another feather in her cap.
“As the top seed in the tournament, it was always a guideline to what you want to achieve, so I am very happy to take the title,” she said.
Loubser is one of the country’s top juniors and gained experience by travelling with the South African Federation Cup team this year.
Bouwer’s father, Eugene, said the win was a big boost for her confidence.
“Knowing that she can beat top players is really good for her, as well as improving her position on national rankings and being considered for the high performance squad,” he said.
Last year, Bouwer was crowned the SA junior singles and doubles champion, as well as being selected for the national side to play in the African Cup.
Bouwer snr said they were looking into an American scholarship to further her career.
“This is on the cards, as we have received proposals from Utah and South Carolina,” he said.
“That is her long-term goal, while short-term she wants to ensure she is competitive among the country’s top players and to be selected for the high performance squad.”
He paid tribute to Vermaak, as well as her sponsors, for assisting in Kaylin’s development.
“She has been with Yvonne for nearly 10 years now,” he said. “Yvonne has shaped Kaylin’s tennis and had a big influence on her achievements.
“In addition, Technifibre, a tennis brand from Europe, made a sponsorship proposal to Kaylin in 2016 and at this level a sponsor is of utmost importance.
“The two-year sponsorship includes racquets, strings, tennis bags and branded clothing.
“It has really helped us a great deal.”