Lapthorne beaten in South Africa semis

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Eastcote’s wheelchair tennis star Andy Lapthorne lost to home favourite Lucas Sithole on Friday in the semi-finals of the South Africa Open.

World number three Lapthorne made a good start in Johannesburg by taking the opening set 6-3.

But Sithole, ranked one place below the west Londoner, harnessed the support of the crowd and responded by taking the second set 6-3 to force a decider.

This was the pair’s 16th meeting, with Lapthorne 9-6 up in the head-to-head, and the sixth time they had gone to a decider.

Sithole won their most recent encounter, beating Lapthorne at the Australian Open in January, and it was to be the South African’s day again as he edged the third set 6-4.

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