The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
DAVIES Cup team member, Ethan Sibanda continues feeling the effects of being on the sidelines of tennis as he cannot travel outside the country for tournaments as he does not have a passport.
Sibanda (16), who had targeted to make it into the top 200 this year, went six places down on the International Tennis Federation World Junior Rankings. He moved to position 387 according to rankings by the ITF on Monday.
At the beginning of the year, the player achieved a career high of position 303 but lack of the travelling document has seen him missing several tournaments in the Southern African region with Zimbabwe only playing host to an ITF juniors’ tourney later this month.
A passport backlog at the Registrar General’s office has seen people going for two years waiting for ordinary passports. Despite the fall in rankings, Sibanda is still the top ranked Zimbabwe junior player followed by Taona Mhwandagara (18), who went 20 places up to position 680, followed by Benedict Badza (15), who went down 12 places to 903 while Takura Mhwandagara (15) slid down 15 places to 997 and Lyle Zaloumis is on 1104 after going down 15 places.
Zamani Moyo (17) moved up 101 places to 1331 with Thompson Thomu (15) at 1430, Sharne Tapera (16) is at 1501 while Bukhosi Moyo (16) and Joseph Magutshwa (15) at position 1770 and 1872 respectively.
On the girls’ rankings, Rufaro Magarira (17) is the top ranked Zimbabwean player at position 598 followed by Tadiwanashe Eunice Mauchi (14) at 863, Tanyaradzwa Midzi (14) who is ranked 965 and Sasha Chimedza (15) is at 1294.
Chelsea Chakanyuka (14) moved 88 places up to occupy position 1453 while Julie Tungamirai (15) is at 1632 Tsitsi Claire Mahere (17) is at 1709, Tanatswa Musabaeka (16) is positioned 1850 with Claire Machisa (16) and Zvikomborero Mtutu (15) at 1892 and 2050 respectively.
