South African players Lucas Sithole and Donald Ramphadi made history by winning Africa’s first wheelchair tennis medal at the Paris Paralympics, clinching bronze in the quad doubles event. In a gripping match that was decided by a tiebreak, Sithole and Ramphadi edged out Brazil's Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 10-8. This victory adds to South Africa’s medal tally, which now stands at four.
In the gold medal match, the Dutch team of Niels Vink and Sam Schroder triumphed over Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and Greg Slade with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory. Ramphadi, who has previously achieved significant success including a French Open doubles win, expressed his excitement about winning a Paralympic medal. He recalled his memorable experience from last year and noted the special significance of this new achievement.
Sithole, who lost his legs in a train accident at age 12 and has previously won titles such as the US Open singles and the Australian Open doubles, also shared his joy. He described the bronze medal as a historic milestone for the duo and highlighted the significance of their win. Sithole also joked about Ramphadi owing him a whiskey for his contribution during the match.
Both players celebrated their accomplishment, emphasizing the importance of their partnership and their commitment to winning. Sithole and Ramphadi’s performance not only secured a major achievement for themselves but also set a significant precedent in wheelchair tennis for Africa.
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