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Pearson girls claim silver at Pat Uys Eunice tennis tournament

  • Herald Correspondent
2 min read
SummaryOpen the quick read
  • Pearson kicked off their campaign in Bloemfontein with pool-stage wins against Waterkloof (13-7), hosts Eunice (11-8), and Rhenish Girls’ High (17-2).
  • Sisters Miya and Emma de Villiers, alongside Likuwe Matika, starred during the decisive pool fixtures to guarantee Pearson top spot.
  • A semi-final victory over Voortrekker Bethlehem (12-6) was secured thanks to strong singles play by Amy Stuart and Erin Dold-Chapman, as well as a pivotal doubles win from Milani Somyalo and Milla Biggs.
  • In a tightly contested final against St Mary’s, the clash went down to the wire after a 3-3 singles tie, with St Mary's ultimately clinching the title 5-4.
The Pearson girls' team which took the silver medal in the Pat Uys Eunice tennis tournament in Bloemfontein was, from left, back, Miya de Villiers, Emma de Villiers, middle, Milani Somyalo, Erin Dold-Chapman, Amy Stuart, front, Likuwe Matika, Milla Biggs, Janré Viljoen (coach)
The Pearson girls' team which took the silver medal in the Pat Uys Eunice tennis tournament in Bloemfontein was, from left, back, Miya de Villiers, Emma de Villiers, middle, Milani Somyalo, Erin Dold-Chapman, Amy Stuart, front, Likuwe Matika, Milla Biggs, Janré Viljoen (coach)

The Pearson first girls’ tennis team travelled to a hot Bloemfontein to compete in the prestigious Pat Uys Eunice Tennis tournament at the weekend that brings together top schools from around the country for a competitive event.

The Gqeberha side showed tremendous character and determination, winning both their opening matches, against Waterkloof 13-7 and hosts Eunice 11-8.

The next day started with a great challenge against one of the top tennis schools in the country – Rhenish Girls’ High.

Pearson were completely committed from the first point and came away with an impressive 17-2 victory.

The De Villiers sisters, Miya and Emma, were outstanding, winning two thrilling matches each. Likuwe Matika and Emma also produced a fantastic doubles performance to contribute to another big team win.

Pearson finished first in their pool with three big victories, setting up a semifinal against Voortrekker Bethlehem.

This clash produced another incredible team effort.

Amy Stuart was solid on centre court, producing a brilliant win at No 1, and Erin Dold-Chapman continued her excellent tournament with another strong victory.

But the match of the day belonged to Milani Somyalo and Milla Biggs. The pair produced an excellent doubles performance under pressure, securing a crucial win and helping Pearson to a 12-6 victory and a place in the final.

The third day featured Pearson playing against St Mary’s in the final.

Pearson started the decider strongly, with Stuart, Biggs and Somyalo all winning their singles matches. The match was level at 3-3 after the singles, meaning the doubles would decide the final.

Biggs and Somyalo produced a thrilling 8-7 victory in their clash, but St Mary’s prevailed in the other two doubles matches to take the final 5-4.

The final placings were: 1 St Mary’s, 2 Pearson, 3 Waterkloof, 4 Voortrekker, 5 Eunice, 6 Affies, 7 Rhenish, 8 St Stithians