Randburg Open RD1: Opening Day Sees Several South African Wins

It was a good day for the home hopes at the PaybyFace Randburg Open, with eleven South Africans taking victory to move through to the second round of the Challenger 5 level competition.

Six of those came in the women’s event, with Angie Clifton-Parks causing the sole upset in the draw. She got the better of compatriot Jess McDonald, who was one of the 9/16 seeds for the tournament.

Kimberley McDonald, Shelomi Truter, Awande Malinga, Alexa Pienaar and Mariska Wiese also made it through on home soil. The latter had to survive a five-game battle against fellow South African Kaylee Hunt, but came through after 38 minutes of action.

In the men’s event, Gerard Mitchell and Nathanael Ndebele were the two South Africans to cause seeding upsets, as they got the better of Pakistan’s Moeen Ud Din and another South African, in Hayden Worth, respectively.

Elsewhere, Ruan Olivier, Damien Groenewald and Tristen Worth also made it through to the second round of the Challenger 5 level tournament. They will be joined by Sri Lanka’s Shamil Wakeel and the Egyptian duo of Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek and Yusuf Elsherif.

The second day of the PaybyFace Randburg Open will take place on Thursday, October 20, with the top eight seeds in both draws coming into the competition for the first time.

Men’s First Round Results: PaybyFace Randburg Open
Nathanael Ndebele (RSA) bt Hayden Worth (RSA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 (30m)
Shamil Wakeel (SRI) bt Tertius de Bruin (RSA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (24m)
Yusuf Elsherif (EGY) bt Jonty Matthys (RSA) 3-1: 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-4 (56m)
Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek (EGY) bt Diodivine Mkhize (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 (31m)
Ruan Olivier (RSA) bt Gary Wheadon (RSA) 3-1: 11-3, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6 (38m)
Damian Groenewald (RSA) bt Youssef Matta (EGY) 3-0: 13-11, 11-4, 11-5 (31m)
Tristen Worth (RSA) bt Muhammad Essa (PAK) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-3 (18m)
Gerard Mitchell (RSA) bt Moeen Ud Din (PAK) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (28m)

Men’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Thursday, October 20
[1] Edwin Clain (FRA) v Nathanael Ndebele (RSA)
Shamil Wakeel (SRI) v [8] Paul Gonzalez (FRA)
[5] Adegoke Onaopemipo (NGR) v Yusuf Elsherif (EGY)
Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek (EGY)  v [3] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA)
[4] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) v Ruan Olivier (RSA)
Damian Groenewald (RSA) v [7] Laszlo Godde (FRA)
[6] Seif Nasser (EGY) v Tristen Worth (RSA)
Gerard Mitchell (RSA) v [2] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA)

Women’s First Round Results: PaybyFace Randburg Open
Kimberley McDonald (RSA) bt Megan Shannon (RSA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (23m)
Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) bt Chante Leppan (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (19m)
Angie Clifton-Parks (RSA) bt Jess McDonald (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (27m)
Shelomi Truter (RSA) bt Bongi Seroto (RSA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (28m)
Alexa Pienaar (RSA) bt Nadia Dippenaar (RSA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-3 (20m)
Mariska Wiese (RSA) bt Kaylee Hunt (RSA) 3-2: 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 (37m)
Awande Malinga (RSA) bt Favour Utukpe (NGR): Walkover
Nour Khafagy (EGY) bt Jordan Campbell (RSA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-7 (23m)

Women’s Second Round Draw: To Be Played Thursday, October 20
[1] Elise Romba (FRA) v Kimberley McDonald (RSA)
Shahd Elrefaey (EGY) v [6] Teagan Leigh Roux (RSA)
[5] Lilou Brevard-Belliot (FRA) v Angie Clifton-Parks (RSA)
Shelomi Truter (RSA) v [3] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR)
[4] Kara Lincou (FRA) v Alexa Pienaar (RSA)
Mariska Wiese (RSA) v [7] Cheyna Wood (RSA)
[8] Helena Coetzee (RSA) v Awande Malinga (RSA)
Nour Khafagy (EGY) v [2] Nour Megahed (EGY)