It was a frustrating Friday for Team SA’s tennis contingent at the 2024 Paralympics, with rain causing continuous disruptions to the Roland Garros programme. However, the play went on deep into the night, although birthday boy Alwande Sikhosana was warm and dry after a 6-4, 7-5 win over Brazil’s Gustavo Silver.
The now 24-year-old South African progressed to the second round of the men’s singles of the wheelchair tennis where he meets No 16 seed Daisuke Arai of Japan.
In the swimming, Nathan Hendricks reached his second final in two days and improved on his morning heats time to finish seventh in 1:03.43sec in the men’s 100m S13 backstroke.
Also finishing seventh in a final was para-athlete Sheryl James. The bronze medallist from Tokyo in the T37 400m took her place in the final of the women’s T37 200m at a wet Stade de France and afterwards said that she was happy with the experience and looking forward to the 400m.
“It was a very different experience to Tokyo,” the 38-year-old said after her time of 29.08sec had left her beating two runners across the line, with gold going to China’s Xiaoyan Wen after a dominating win in 25.86 from lane eight.
“The track was a little slippery but it is what it is. Just being on the track, able to finish the race in the company of some incredible girls and in front of a crowd cheering on home favourite Mandy Francois-Elie in the lane next to me, was great.”
James still has the 100m and the 400m to come.
“This (200m) was a good start. The 400m is a straight final and we should have two South Africans in that with Liezel Gouws joining me. The 100m has heats and I’m also hopeful about that.”
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