Jensen Pletschke, a rising star in the world of university tennis, is gearing up to lead the Madibaz team to victory at the USSA tournament. This year, the Madibaz are aiming high, hoping to secure a top-three finish and earn a spot in the top division.
Pretoria, South Africa (03 December 2024) – Jensen Pletschke, having grown significantly this season, will be a key tennis player for the Madibaz as they strive to elevate their national ranking at this year’s University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament.
The team from Mandela University in Gqeberha reported for duty at the five-day event in Pretoria which began yesterday, 3 December.
Pletschke, who will compete in his second USSA week, wants the Madibaz to build on their performance of last year when they placed third in the B-division, which he considers a decent result, that can be improved.
According to Madibaz, the team have been at it for weeks with an eye on delivering the goods in 2024, when another top-three place will earn them promotion to the top division in 2025.
Besides the challenge of getting one over on the competition, Pletschke said coastal teams who travelled to upcountry events also had to “compete” against the heat and altitude – which meant adapting to the conditions was paramount.
Pletschke, who is also a second-year pharmacy student, described his maiden appearance at the elite tertiary event, where the whole team reportedly played well, as “surreal”. But this time, with a spot in the A-division their ambition, the stakes are even higher.
Following his USSA debut last season, the Madibaz No. 1’s on-court performances were rewarded by the selectors.
This led to him being called up to the national team and competing at the Cucsa Games in Pretoria as well as an invitational quadrangular in Harare this year. There, Pletschke won two of three singles matches to help the South Africans seal third place.
“My trip to Zimbabwe has become a motivational tool to work harder as the level of tennis was very high,” the 19-year-old, who at the time described it as an “eye-opening experience,” said.
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There, he faced players who had just represented their respective countries at the Fisu (International University Sports Federation) Games.
He returned home to work even harder at his game.
“One of the particular elements I have tried to improve this year has been to play more strategically. This was one of the big lessons I learnt in Zimbabwe; I realised how important it was to follow a disciplined [and] tactical pattern.”
With a new format for the USSA tournament, the Madibaz are ready to give it their all. They’re determined to hit the court and prove that they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Sources: Nelson Mandela University
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