Bloemhof runners up in Gerrie Berner tennis tournament
11 April 2022
Bloemhof Girls’ High School’s first tennis team was able to make it to the finals of the Gerrie Berner tennis tournament in mid-March but was not successful in defending their title as champions and Oranje Girls High School lifted the trophy.
The prestigious tennis tournament is presented annually by Paarl Gymnasium and boasts exciting matches by South Africa's best high school teams. This year there were two Free State teams (Oranje and Eunice Girls 'High School) and four teams from Gauteng (Helpmekaar College, Waterkloof High, Menlopark High and Afrikaans Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria) that competed against six teams from the Boland: Bloemhof, Rhenish Girls' High School, Stellenbosch High, Paarl Girls’ High, Paarl Gymnasium and an invitational team that included learners from Huguenot High and La Rochelle Girls’ High, among others.
Bloemhof, who have been crowned winners of this tournament since 2016, won all their group matches this year to take on their neighbouring school, Rhenish, in the semi-finals. These play-off matches were postponed due to rain on the Friday and only took place the next morning.
"It was a tough match," said Megan Gibbs, Bloemhof's tennis captain. "Rhenish was strong competition and we were on top of that with only one match that would determine who would advance to the final."
The final against Oranje started well for the Bloemhoffers when they won the doubles, but the Oranje team then dominated in the singles to finally win by four points to one. "We know there is a lot of work ahead, but we look forward to facing the Oranje team again in Bloemfontein in May when we will participate in the Amanda Coetzer tournament," said Gibbs.
Oranje was the Gerrie Berner champions between 2012 and 2015. This year Bloemhof is second and Rhenish in third place. The men's division took place in February and Paul Roos Gymnasium lifted the trophy.