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Cape Town - South African wheelchair tennis ace Kgothatso Montjane and her Japanese partner Momoko Ohtani stunned top seeds Yui Kamiji (Japan) and Lucy Shuker (Great Britiain) in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 to reach the doubles final of the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships in St Louis, USA on Friday.
It was sweet revenge for the Wimbledon semi-finalist Montjane who had earlier been knocked out of the women's singles by the Japanese world number 2 Kamiji in the quarter-finals.
In a high-quality encounter, the fourth-seeded South African-Japanese pair served exceptionally, with the Dwight Davis Tennis Centre crowd being treated to few rallies as a result.
The way the 32-year-old Montjane and her partner Ohtani powered past the top-seeded opponents is evident of her good form as the US Open Grand Slam edges nearer.
“It’s amazing that we are playing together for the first time and we also managed to take down the top seeds, considering that my partner Momoko Ohtani cannot even speak English but we just gelled on court. It’s amazing and we hope to take the same spirit into the final on Saturday,” commented Montjane following their doubles victory.
This is the third time Montjane reach the doubles final at the sixth and last Super Series event on the 2018 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour in St Louis. The world number 6 clinched the title in 2013 with Jordanne Whiley and hopes to bag her second crown this year.
“I am playing very well, and I hope to continue at it into the final. It will be great to win my second doubles title here,” said Montjane.
Montjane and Ohtani will face second seeds Dutch pair of Marjolein Buis and Aniek van Koot in Saturday’s final.
