Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, [email protected]
ZIMBABWEAN female tennis youngsters, Kuzivaishe Chapepa and Emmly George put up brilliant performances in the court after managing to bag gold and silver medals respectively at the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) 14 and Under Circuit leg two in Luanda, Angola.
The two Bulawayo-bred budding stars faced off twice in the finals at the tournament which ended on Sunday and falls in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) calendar.
Chipepa scooped gold in the girls’ under-14 singles and doubles event.
In the singles final, Chapepa won the two-set match with scores of 6-4 and 6-0 to claim gold against George.
On her way to the final, Chapepa won her quarter-final match against Angola’s Cirka Mwahala with identical scores of 6-0 and 6-0 in the two sets.
She went on to beat Siena Figueiredo from Mozambique 6-1 and 6-0 in the semi-finals.
The reigning Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) Sportsperson of the Year, George made her way to the final after winning by scores of 6-2 and 6-1 against Mozambique’s Leticia Zandamela in the quarter finals.
The 12-year-old went on to beat Angola’s Ana Joao 6-1 and 5-2 (Joao retired) to set up a final date with Chapepa.
In the doubles category, Chapepa partnered with Ndidi Osaji from Nigeria to beat George who played alongside Joao 6-2 and 7-5 in the final.
The rising star, Chapepa and her partner knocked out Mozambique pair of Ewadaba and Lorena Zandamela in the semi-finals with identical 6-0 and 6-0. George and Joao emerged 6-1, 6-4 victorious in the semi-finals Figueiredo and Zandamela.
Participating in the tournament, both Chapepa and George got exposure to competitive competitions that help in developing their skills on the court.
“This was her (Chapepa) second tournament this year as she was not able to participate in any CAT continental tournaments this year due to funding constraints but the win is important for her because it will boost her confidence level, giving coaches new targets to work on.
“The win will also enable her to get a wild card to higher ranked tournaments as we prepare for her progression into the 18 and under ITF Circuit,” said Chapepa’s father, Fradreck Chapepa.
He added that for her to get to tournaments, they have been getting donations from parents and well-wishers.
Fradreck hopes that Tennis Zimbabwe (TZ) and other bodies within Southern Africa host tournaments like the Africa Junior Championships so that budding tennis stars avoid traveling to far destinations which are expensive.
He also said hosting such tournaments will benefit everyone as all the young players will get the chance to compete against the best in the continent and get ranking points while coming from home.
— @brandon_malvin
Online Reporter