Philip Henning and Jeong Beyoung Soar to Curro Centre Court Series Titles at Stellenbosch

The third-seeded South African, Philip Henning, secured a victory with a score of 6-4, 6-1 over the unseeded German competitor, Nino Ehrenschneider, during the final of the Curro Center Court Series held at the Van der Stel Courts in Stellenbosch, South Africa on Sunday, 08 December. 

The home crowd was optimistic that both the men’s and women’s singles players from South Africa would achieve a resounding victory. However, the brave 15-year-old South Africa female competitor, Jahnie van Zyl was defeated by the fourth-seeded South Korean player, Jeong Beyoung, in the women15 (W15) final on Sunday. 

Jeong outlasted Van Zyl in an exciting match, winning 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) with her exceptional defense under scorching conditions. The match lasting 133 minutes was filled with intense rallies showcasing their skills. Van Zyl, known for her amazing shots and agility, captivated the crowd at the Curro Center Court Series in Stellenbosch. 

Henning shines on home-soil

Henning needed 80 minutes to dispose of Ehrenschneider. He broke in the first game of the match and needed only the singular break to coast to the first set – 6-4.

In the second set, Henning broke three times – in the third, fifth, and seventh games due to his effective return game against the German’s powerful first serves. He consistently passed or forced errors when Ehrenschneider approached the net. Henning’s victory marked his second in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures in the Curro Center Courts Series.

“I have worked extremely hard to get more free points when I launch my first serve, and I have also tried to add more punch to my forehands this year,” Henning told SportsBoom.com. 

“It is great to win a second Curro Centre Court Series title, and my sixth Futures title overall in 2024,” the victor added.

In the final against Jeong, Van Zyl showed remarkable qualities by fighting like a Trojan. Despite being broken four times in the first set, she broke back twice, including with a powerful double-handed backhand down the line.

But Jeong defended by using a variety of slices, top-spin ground strokes, and moonballs. Van Zyl found it difficult to get onto the front foot and dominate against such a spectacular defender. 

The South African player turned up the heat against Jeong in the second set and gained a 3-0 advantage. Jeong fought back bravely as Van Zyl tightened up just a little bit in the middle of the second set. 

“The turning point for me was the way I fought back in the second set after being down -0-3,” Jeong said afterward.  “By erasing the deficit and gaining the 4-3 lead, I was able to gain the upper hand..”

Van Zyl admitted that her first serve let her down on a few occasions. “But this was still one of my greatest tournament-achievements ever, as I beat the second seed Stephanie Visscher in the semi-finals and reached my first-ever ITF Futures Women15 (W15)-final,” Van Zyl, now ranked 175th in the world on the ITF junior world rankings, said.

In the doubles final, the Dutch pair of Niels Lootsma and Niels Visker, fourth-seeded, beat Nino Ehrenschneider of Germany and Yuta Kikuchi of Japan by 2-6, 6-3, 12/10 in a high-quality match characterized by superb reflex volleys and outrageous passing shots.

Sara Borkop of Denmark and Dune Vassaid of France edged the German duo of Luisa Hrda and Yasmine Wanger 4-6, 6-1, 10-6 in the women’s doubles final. 

Curro Sport's partnership with Tennis South Africa

“Curro is proud to partner with Tennis South Africa to sponsor and host this Centre Court Series,” said Jared Temlett, Project Manager for Curro Sport. 

“We have hosted ITF Junior tournaments for top-ranking players from all over the world over the last few years. However, the Curro Centre Court Series expands our efforts, catering to professional players and offering significant prize purses.”

“With more than 73,000 learners in over 180 schools, Curro is inspired daily by incredible talent and potential. And what incredible talent we have just seen with a 15-year-old South African turning out in a final,” he said.

“Generally, South African players have to travel to other countries to play in tournaments of this caliber because there are very few events of this nature hosted locally. Our series this year has been proof of the need for South Africans to play this level of event within the borders of the country. 

“A total of 21 South African men and 20 women played here this week and earned a total of 84 WTA and ATP world ranking points. Of the 41 South Africans who competed, 28 are younger than 18 years old,” said Temlett.