It was a challenging day for South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane at the US Open on Wednesday.
Playing on Court 8 in the women’s wheelchair singles, Montjane came up short against France’s rising star Ksenia Chasteau, who secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory in an hour and 39 minutes.
Chasteau’s Remarkable Journey
The 19-year-old Chasteau, born in Russia but now representing France, has overcome immense challenges both on and off the court.
She and her father lost their left legs in a motorcycle accident, but Chasteau has turned adversity into achievement.
She was the top junior wheelchair tennis player in 2023 and has already won junior singles titles at the 2023 US Open and 2024 French Open.
Interestingly, Montjane had defeated Chasteau in a three-set thriller at Wimbledon earlier this year.
This time, however, the tables were turned, and Chasteau took full advantage of her opportunities.
Montjane Reflects on Her Performance
After the match, Montjane admitted her disappointment but kept a sportsmanlike perspective.
“Really disappointing, you know. I feel like I could have been better.
I had some good chances but didn’t use my serve as well as I wanted,” she said.
“I wasn’t playing the quality tennis I like to play. Credit to her for taking advantage when I dropped the ball short.
I had a disappointing start, but well done to her for seizing her opportunities.”
Montjane also praised her opponent’s skill, noting, “She’s an upcoming player.
She has a solid backhand and a strong forehand. She used the court better than me. Credit to her, she played well.”
Looking Ahead to Doubles
Despite the singles setback, Montjane remains upbeat about her semi-final wheelchair doubles match, scheduled for Thursday.
She will partner with Japan’s Yui Kamiji to face the formidable duo of Diede de Groot (Netherlands) and Zhenzhen Zhu (China).
“Their team knocked out the No 1 seeds, so it won’t be an easy match,” Montjane said.
“But we’ll give it our best. We’ll keep trying to find our chemistry as we know each other well.
It’s just another fight. We have to come ready to really fight for every point.”
Montjane and Kamiji remain determined to give fans a thrilling performance despite the tough challenge ahead.