Nairobi, Kenya, 12 February 2020 – South African top ranked wheelchair tennis player Evans Maripa completed a Nairobi Open double on Wednesday afternoon as he added the doubles title alongside rising star Alwande Sikhosana to the singles victory he had claimed just hours earlier.
Maripa recorded his second title in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures event when the former world number 11 partnered Sikhosana to a 6-4 6-2 win over countryman Leon Els and his Brazilian partner Rafael Medeiros in Nairobi.
Just two hours earlier Maripa claimed the men’s singles title with a clean sweep 6-0 6-0 victory over Said Himam of Morocco.
“I’m incredibly proud to win two titles here in Nairobi.
“The whole week I’ve been trying to put my game on the court and hope it matches up, and today it did, so I’m really pleased,” said Maripa.
“I’m really pleased with my performance throughout the week and look forward to the World Team Cup qualifying for Africa event,” added Maripa.
Up next for the 29-year-old Maripa is the BNP Paribas World Team Cup Africa Qualifying which runs from 14 – 17 February in Nairobi, Kenya.
Joining Maripa in the regional qualification event will be Alwande Sikhosana and Leon Els who will battle it out for a spot in the 2020 BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event, to be held on 4-10 May at the Vilamoura Tennis Academy in Portugal.
The BNP Paribas World Team Cup is often referred to as the Davis and Fed Cups of wheelchair tennis. The initial event took place in California in 1985 involving six men’s teams. The women’s competition began the following year, with quad and junior events introduced in 1998 and 2000 respectively.
