KG Montjane’s quest for fifth tennis Slam ends with US Open doubles exit

Multiple Grand Slam champion Kgothatso “KG” Montjane and long-time playing partner Yui Kamiji of Japan were eliminated from the US Open wheelchair tennis doubles following a 7-5, 7-5 semi-final defeat to Dutch veteran Diede de Groot and Zhu Zhenzhen of China.

Montjane and Kamiji were up 5-2 in the first set before their opponents reeled off five consecutive games to snatch the opener. De Groot and Zhu then claimed the crucial break in the ninth game of the second set and went on to seal their place in the final.

The South African-Japanese duo dominated the percentage of points won on their first serve, but struggled on their second — a stat that proved decisive in the battle that lasted over two hours. Their opponents also hit significantly more winners throughout the match.

The unseeded pair, who won the French Open earlier this year, had booked their place in the semi-finals after defeating Colombia’s Angelica Bernal and France’s Ksenia Chasteau 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Rising star Chasteau had earlier ended 39-year-old Montjane’s quest for a maiden Grand Slam singles title on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, which would have added to her four doubles majors. The French teenager beat Montjane 6-4, 6-4 in their first-round encounter, which lasted an hour and 39 minutes.

Montjane struggled with her serve in that match, with untimely double faults — especially at key moments — proving costly. The Frenchwoman was also more assertive at the net, winning 80% of her net points against the left-handed baseliner. The win also served as revenge for her defeat to Montjane at Wimbledon earlier this year.

Montjane’s exit from both singles and doubles competitions in New York marked the end of South Africa’s participation in the year’s final Grand Slam. SA’s men’s top seed, Lloyd Harris, was eliminated in the second round by fourth seed Taylor Fritz of the US, as he continues his comeback from injury.

Rising star Jahnie van Zyl reached the second round of the junior girls' singles qualifying event.