Cape Dreams News from in and around the Cape
25 November 2023 – Cape Town’s Lucinda Gibbs and Jackie Booth are through to Sunday’s ladies’ semi-finals at the Balwin Padel Thaba Eco Estate Open 2023.
The event started Thursday at the iconic Thaba Eco Estate Sports Centre, south of Joburg. It ends on Sunday, with the final at 11am. Sunday’s action starts with the semi-finals at 8am and another an hour later.
Gibbs and Booth won all three matches in the preliminary round on Thursday and continued in winning vein when the quarter-finals were played on Saturday.
Sunday’s semi-finals lie-up on Court 1:
08:00: Debbie Van Aswegen / Marné Roos vs Karyn Hambridge / Izelle Anderson
09:00: Rensia de Lange / Michelle van Staden vs Lucinda Gibbs / Jackie Booth
There is R375 000 in total prize money for the ladies’ event. This is the biggest cash prize amateur padel tournament in South Africa, with well-known tournament organizer Sebastian Brokmann at the helm.
Brokmann said that the ladies’ category boasts a deep field of exceptionally talented pairings, including Karyn Hambridge and Izelle Anderson, Jackie Booth and Lucinda Gibbs, as well as Debbie van Aswegen and Marne Roos. Another exciting pairing to keep an eye out for is Anna Wysorczarska and Imaan Hassim.
Padel consultant, Tournament Director for the A1 African Qualifiers, and affectionately known as the Voice of Padel locally, Paulo do Carmo, will share the microphone and commentate on the games, which will be live-streamed (on Instagram).
The iconic Thaba Eco Estate Sports Centre is a world-class recreational facility with a 6-Star Green Star-rated Lifestyle Centre.
The Sports Centre is family-focused and caters to a host of outdoor activities, including two premium Padel courts, two 5v5 soccer fields, an Olympic standard basketball half court, running and mountain biking trails in pristine nature, as well as a skate park designed by South African Olympiad, Dallas Oberholzer.