Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT’S just not clicking for hosts Zimbabwe.
And non-playing captain Gwinyai Tongoona cut the figure of a very distraught man shortly after watching his charges suffer their second successive defeat at the ongoing Davis Cup Africa Group III tennis tournament at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Zimbabwe went down 3-0 to yet another lowly side — Algeria.
The result, their second defeat by an identical margin, having been beaten by minnows Senegal in their tournament opener, saw the hosts fail to win a single match and plunged them deeper into the relegation zone.
With the top-three teams from the five featuring in this tourney set to get promotion into next year’s World Group II, Zimbabwe are increasingly looking to be one of the two candidates for demotion into the Africa Group IV.
Both Zimbabwe and Algeria went into yesterday’s tie desperate for a win after suffering opening day defeats to Senegal and Namibia respectively.
However, it would be the North Africans who would get back on track as Toufik Sahtali made light work to Zimbabwe’s Ethan Sibanda 6-2, 6-1, while Algeria’s Samir Hamza Reguig dispatched the older Sibanda, Mehluli, 6-2, 6-2 in the disastrous singles matches for the hosts.
Not even the return of highly-rated Courtney Lock could help Zimbabwe get a face saver in the doubles.
Lock partnered Mehluli Sibanda but the duo still came a cropper against Reguig and Sahtali who beat them in straight sets 6-4,6-3.
The loss left Zimbabwe rooted at the bottom even before the log standings were updated, as the hosts are yet to win a single match in the tournament.
With Nigeria and Namibia up next, Zimbabwe will now have to win both ties to stand a chance of surviving the chop and possibly gatecrash into one of the promotion slots.
However, a series of unforced errors has Zimbabwe’s biggest undoing, a factor that is also worrying Tongoona.
In all six matches, none of Zimbabwe’s opponents have played any spectacular tennis with the hosts supposedly one or two tweaks away from getting it right.
Surprisingly, Zimbabwe’s top ranked singles player, Mehluli Sibanda, has been the biggest culprit.
“Yes, it is a worry,” said Tongoona.
“It is something that has to be addressed, obviously.
“The plan is to discuss with the players, see what we can do differently and how you can play differently and try tomorrow again.
Tongoona also revealed his fears about being relegated.
“I think it was a tough day in the office today (yesterday).
“The doubles was probably the best match we played.
“In the singles, I think the pressure got the best out of the boys as we made way too many mistakes.
“Now, we have to quickly rebuild and get ready for our next two games . . . they are must-win games.
“There is a threat of us getting relegated and a lot of pressure there.
“It just has to be handled the right way as the matches are only getting tougher now,” he said.
Zimbabwe return to the court this morning as they face Nigeria after which they wrap up their participation with a tie against old foes and tournament top-ranked side Namibia.
