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Cape Town - World number 3 wheelchair tennis ace Aniek van Koot from the Netherlands resisted another stirring challenge from South Africa’s top ranked wheelchair tennis player, Kgothatso Montjane, to deny the 32-year-old an Australian Open semi-final spot for the fourth time at Melbourne Park in Australia on Wednesday.
Montjane had a low start and the Dutch 28-year-old dominated the opening set which she bagged 6-1. In the second set, the Wimbledon finalist seemed to have gained her momentum to stage a fight-back but Van Koot maintained her dominance before she pulled a sensational 6-1, 7-5 victory to advance to the last four.
In the second set, the two women hammered tennis balls back and forth over the net, each one answering the other’s power with power of her own, until the last point.
It was Montjane’s fourth failed attempt to reach the semi-final round at Melbourne Park against the Dutch world number 3. She lost in the quarter-final round in 2013, 2016 and 2018.
Montjane still has the doubles event to look forward to. She will join forces with Lucy Shuker from Britain, and they will face off against top seeds Marjolein Buis (NED) and partner Sabine Ellerbrock (GER) in the semi-final round on Thursday.
