Japan's Yui Kamiji and South Africa's Kgothatso Montjane acknowledge the crowd after beating French pair Pauline Deroulede and Emmanuelle Morch in a women's wheelchair doubles semi-final Japan's Yui Kamiji and South Africa's Kgothatso Montjane acknowledge the crowd after beating French pair Pauline Deroulede and Emmanuelle Morch in a women's wheelchair doubles semi-final. Photo: Reuters
Cape Town — South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane claimed her maiden Grand Slam title when she won the Wheelchair doubles finals in the French Open on Saturday.
Playing alongside Yui Kamijin of Japan, the pair defeated Diede de Groot and Maria Florencia Moreno 6-3, 6-2 to walk away with the trophy.
It was Montjane’s first ever Grand Slam title after coming close on a number of occasions in the past.
Also on Saturday, Japan's Tokito Oda defeated top-ranked Alfie Hewett of Britain 6-1, 6-4 in the French Open wheelchair final to become the sport's youngest Grand Slam champion.
The 17-year-old is also guaranteed to become the youngest ever world number one in the discipline.
"I was really happy to get the two dreams on the one day -- for the youngest player to be No. 1 in world and to win a Grand Slam title; so two dreams come true today. It's happiest day of my life," said Oda.
His win on Saturday avenged his defeat to seven-time major winner Hewett at the Australian Open in January.
"It was first time for me on the Philippe Chatrier court. There were so many people in the crowd. Somebody say, 'Come on, Tokito,' and somebody say, 'Allez, Tokito.' I was really happy to hear that word."
Yui Kamiji was unable to make it a Japanese double as she was defeated 6-2, 6-0 by Diede De Groot who collected her fourth women's title in Paris and 18th Grand Slam trophy.
De Groot of the Netherlands also won in Paris in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
AFP and IOL Sport
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