Former SA tennis pro dies

Cape Town - Former South African tennis professional, Schalk van der Merwe, passed away at the age of 54 on Sunday.

Van der Merwe, who was also a medical doctor, was found dead in his car in Ireland on Sunday.

He was based in Durbanville near Cape Town, but worked at a medical practice in Ireland for a few months a year.

A coach from the Durbanville Tennis Club, where Van der Merwe still played socially, told Sport24 on Tuesday that the cause of death was still unknown.

Van der Merwe featured as a professional on the ATP World Tour in the 1980s. His best ranking in singles was No 157, while he was ranked as high as No 81 in doubles.

He reached the second round in singles at Wimbledon in 1982 and the third round at the US Open later that year.

Van der Merwe’s son, Freddie, who turns 18 this year, is a promising junior player on the ITF circuit.