/ 23 October 1998

Stegmann keeps advancing

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 7.20am.

PROMISING South African tennis junior Dirk Stegmann advanced to the quarterfinals of the Central African tennis satellite after he beat Marcel du Coudray 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Wednesday.

The 15-year-old from Willowmore will now meet top-seed Justin Bower on Thursday. Bower can well afford to be wary after the youngster on Wednesday put out eighth seed Michael White 7-6 7-6.

The Super Squad players all made it into the quarters. Second seed Jeff Coetzee brushed aside another highly rated SA junior, 18-year-old Rik de Voest, 6-0 6-1, and will face German Lars Zimmerman on Thursday.

Third seed Louis Vosloo made short work of Germany’s Jean-Pierre Wenner 6-1 6-1 and faces another German, Daniel Merkert, in the quarters.

Fourth seed Damien Roberts, however, had a torrid time against Zimbabwean Genius Chidzikwe, scraping through 6-1 5-7 7-6 (9-7). He meets Zambia’s Lighton Ndefwai on Thursday.