The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
LOCAL emerging players are finding the going tough at the ongoing International Tennis Federation World Tennis tour South Central Circuit junior legs taking place in at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
The players have struggled to go beyond the second round with a few making it to the round of 16.
Ethan Sibanda, Thabo Ncube in the boys’ section and Vimbai Moyo and Rufaro Magarira are the only players to have made it to the third round with Moyo and Ncube having managed to reach the finals of the doubles tournaments in the two legs that have been played so far.
The last of the three events, a Grade 3 tournament, started yesterday with the qualifying rounds.
Tennis Zimbabwe president Biggie Magarira blamed lack of exposure and court hours for the poor performance of the local lot.
He said while the number of local participants were impressive it was unfortunate most of the players were being ejected at the first round.
“I think they lack the intensity and consistency that is required at this level of the tournament. They are not exposed to international competition at this level and you will realise some were playing in ITF tourneys for the first time. Court hours is another issue afflicting us as we have fewer players playing frequently at this level.
“We also have the issue of physical fitness to deal with as seen during the matches our players lack that stamina needed at this level but on the whole I think it was a good learning curve for our youngsters and they took a lot of lessons going forward,” said Magarira.
Magarira said the final Grade 3 tourney that started yesterday (Saturday) is likely to have tougher opposition as it has more points.
While Ncube who had received a bye in the first round was knocked out in the second but he had managed to reach the third round in the first leg event.
Sibanda is the only player who managed to make it to the third round in both tournaments in the boys’ category while in the girls section Magarira also reached the round of 16 in both events.
Ncube however made it to the doubles final of the second leg after teaming up with Hong Kong’s Sebastian Nothhaft to beat South African duo of Robbie Arends and Khololwam Montsi, 5-7 6-2 [11-9].
Montsi and Arends had won the first leg doubles final and also played together in the first leg individuals’ final with the latter emerging victorious.
In the girls doubles first leg finals, Vimbai Heidi Moyo had teamed up with Russia’s Vasilisa Lisina to reach the finals but lost 7-5 1-6 [10-5] to the Indian duo of Gauri Bhagia and Vipasha Mehra.
