31-10-2012: Joburg hosts the Williams sisters BTW tennis match
Purpose built in 1986 to host international tennis tournaments when South Africa provided a venue for the ATP Tour Doubles Finals, Ellis Park Indoor Arena is being brought to life again. On Sunday, 4th November, Ellis Park Indoor Arena will once again welcome the tennis elite when Venus and Serena Williams match up for their first on-court battle in South Africa.
With its tennis hard court freshly re-surfaced in honour of the sisters’ exhibition match, which takes place at 14H00, Ellis Park is ready to host more than 4000 excited tennis fans that will have made their way from all over the country to witness this historic event.
Venus and Serena Williams will be in the country to champion Breaking the Mould (BTM). This is an initiative created by Octagon SA, aimed specifically at acknowledging and recognizing women (of all ages) who have broken the mould whether at home, play work or in their communities. These are women who have risen above their own set of challenges and adversities to succeed and inspire.
The BTM Venus vs Serena Williams Exhibition Match will also break the mould by being the first match to feature wheelchair tennis players as ball kids. Wheelchair Tennis SA through the Sports Trust, will be the recipients of funds raised through the auction of original tennis memorabilia kindly donated by the sisters, at a gala dinner held on Saturday 3 November. “It is only fitting therefore that this important occasion should be marked with yet another mould breaking moment”, commented Qondisa Ngwenya, Managing Director of Octagon and the mastermind behind the BTM initiative.
It is also appropriate that this match is being played at this particular arena in the heart of the city of gold because it too is somewhat of a mould breaker: the SA Open prior to the professional era of sport we know today, was the only Grand Slam event to be played at high altitude – today, there are only three places in the world where international matches are played at altitude and they are Mexico, Andorra and Johannesburg, SA.
And yet another first – a mixed doubles pairing of top ranked Wheelchair Tennis SA and Tennis SA competitors, is sure to please the assembled spectators and SABC 3’s viewers, in a curtain raiser match.
With a nicely warmed up crowd, the Williams sisters will be sure of a heroes welcome as they take to the court. The winner will be anyone’s guess. Evenly matched with similar power play styles, both wielding the same racquet with a mean right forehand and double back-hands and with only a year between them, it could be Serena, the world number three player or Venus who has recently shot to the number 24 spot on the world rankings list, who will take the honours as the BTM champion. Either way, the match in Johannesburg is set to be a thrilling conclusion to a whirlwind BTM tour.
