Rising Gqeberha tennis star courts two loves

It is fair to say that Gqeberha’s Jensen Pletschke has a profound courtship with two very different loves in his life – tennis and chemistry.

Earlier this month, the second-year pharmacology student at Mandela University represented the South African student team with some aplomb in an invitational tournament in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Pletschke was more than pleased with his return from the tournament, which featured teams from University of Zimbabwe and the National University of Science and Technology.

“I was ecstatic to have won the majority of my matches,” he said after having notched up two victories from three singles matches and in doing so helping the South Africans secure third place overall.

He admitted that it had been a “valuable learning experience” as he had to adapt his game to the high-altitude conditions in the capital city.

With some of their opponents having represented their country at the recent FISU (International University Sports Federation) Games, the intense competition further helped mould his game.

The journey that has taken him across national borders started without him even realising it when he shone as a member of the Madibaz team at the national student championships in Makhanda in December.

They returned with the bronze medal but more good news was to follow for Pletschke when he learnt that the selectors had been present with the aim of selecting a national student squad.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” the “overjoyed” and “nervous” 19-year-old admitted after having received word of his selection.

Pletschke knew that he needed to be at his best if he wanted to make an impact for his country and that came with a fair amount of pressure.

He attributed much of their successful run at the USSAs to the team’s “enthusiastic” coach Sandro Malgas, whose approach had clearly rubbed off on his charges.

“What made the tournament such a blast was the camaraderie within our team, which complemented all the hard work.”

Besides the highs that came with competing against the very best, Pletschke also loved the personal journey he was on.

Creating memories with his varsity and national colleagues and making “friends for life” had been “unforgettable”, he said.

His love for tennis stems from his primary school days when an uncle introduced the pharmacist-to-be to the sport.

He was also fortunate to have had a “fantastic teacher who encouraged us to have fun” at the time.

“She always had a great playlist for the trips!”

Pletschke was equally blessed in high school, where he was exposed to top-level coaching that developed his game to such an extent that it brought further opportunities.

With the rising star serving two loves, one can define his journey until now in one word: deuce.

Madibaz tennis player Jensen Pletschke, left, and Rhodian Mesuli Mtshali were part of the University Sports SA squad who competed in Zimbabwe recently.

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