MATSAPHA – Tandzile Dlamini has successfully defended her ladies’ crown at the Swaziland Building Society (SBS) Seniors Tournament, held at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Kwaluseni Campus yesterday.
In a dominant final display, she dispatched Temancele Mavuso 6-0, 6-0 in the best-of-three-sets format, leaving no doubt about her superiority on the day. The victory not only allowed Dlamini to retain her title, but also made her E1 800 richer, claiming the champion’s prize in the process.
However, the champion was quick to highlight the difficulties encountered along the way. “It was hard reaching the semi-finals, having played for two hours,” she noted, reflecting on the physical demands of her earlier matches.
Dlamini rated her overall performance a modest 50 per cent, citing struggles with training consistency and the minimal availability of tournaments for ladies this year. Despite these obstacles, she expressed quiet satisfaction; “I was happy that I defended my title nonetheless.”
Looking ahead, Dlamini added that she is eager for more time on the court next year. Her resilient triumph underlines both personal determination and the broader challenges facing women’s tennis in Eswatini, where competitive opportunities remain scarce.
In the men’s category, the semi-finals delivered decisive results as players vied for the same E1 800 champion’s prize. Vusi Tsabedze advanced comfortably with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Cyprian Dlamini on court one, while Sakhile Hlophe secured his place in the final by defeating Masiza Ntshangase 6-2, 6-3 on court two.
Attention then turned to the men’s final between Tsabedze and Hlophe, which was set to be a fiercely contested battle to determine the overall champion.
Tsabedze ahead of the finals noted that they were grateful that the tournament was played, yesterday after having it being rescheduled last weekend due to the bad weather. He further shared that he too wants to spend more time on the court to refine his technical ability, which he could not rhis year as he was inconsistent on the court.
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