Mauritius started their semi-final with the kind of momentum that can make a team believe that a place in the next stage is within reach. South Africa, however, had come through the same demanding Team Relay journey and knew that a semi-final could change quickly. On Court 2 at the Cairo Stadium, the two teams produced a contest that moved through three very different stages before the final point was played.
J Ng Wing Lit gave Mauritius the opening advantage in men’s singles, defeating A Dednam 11–6. E How Hong followed with a strong 11–4 lead over Y Li in women’s singles, putting Mauritius 22–10 ahead. The momentum continued through mixed doubles, where P Bhaugeerothee and C How Hong moved Mauritius to 33 points against R Vigario and C Lai.
Mauritius continued to build. T Bhurtun and E How Hong extended the lead in women’s doubles, reaching 44–27, before P Bhaugeerothee and N Changea completed the first sequence in men’s doubles. Mauritius reached 55 points while South Africa had 33.
It was a commanding opening, but the Team Relay leaves little time to enjoy it.
The players returned to court for another sequence, and South Africa began to find a response. J Ng Wing Lit still managed to give Mauritius an early advantage in men’s singles, while E How Hong remained effective against Y Li in women’s singles. But South Africa began closing the gap through the doubles and mixed doubles combinations.
N Changea and E How Hong faced R Vigario and C Lai in mixed doubles, while C How Hong and E How Hong battled C Lai and Y Li in women’s doubles. The latter encounter became particularly close, with Mauritius reaching 44 points and South Africa 43. Suddenly, the sizeable advantage from the opening sequence was no longer so comfortable.
The second sequence ended with South Africa reaching 55 points to Mauritius’ 47.
The momentum had shifted.
There was still another sequence to play, and Mauritius had to find a way to recover from the pressure that South Africa had built. J Ng Wing Lit returned against M Bredell in men’s singles, with South Africa taking the early advantage at 11–6. E How Hong responded in women’s singles, bringing Mauritius to 22 against South Africa’s 18.
Then came another tight contest in mixed doubles. P Bhaugeerothee and C How Hong faced R Vigario and C Lai, and Mauritius reached 33 while South Africa had 32. The gap was once again just one point.
For a moment, the semi-final was balanced on the edge.
T Bhurtun and E How Hong then faced C Lai and Y Li in women’s doubles. South Africa moved ahead 44–43, before the final men’s doubles match brought P Bhaugeerothee and N Changea against M Bredell and R Vigario. South Africa reached 55, while Mauritius finished on 52.
The turnaround had been completed.
For Mauritius, the semi-final showed both sides of their campaign in Cairo. They had begun with authority, building a 22-point lead by the end of the first sequence, but South Africa gradually found answers and kept returning to the court with renewed pressure. The Mauritian players continued to fight, with J Ng Wing Lit, E How Hong, P Bhaugeerothee, C How Hong, T Bhurtun and N Changea all carrying responsibilities across the different disciplines.
What made the contest memorable was how quickly the feeling around the court changed. Mauritius had looked firmly in control at the beginning. By the final sequence, every point had become a battle, and the margin between the two teams had narrowed to almost nothing.
For the young Mauritian players, it was another important lesson in the demands of continental team competition: a strong start is only the beginning, and in a Team Relay, momentum can change before there is even time to catch your breath.
