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CITY of Kings duo of Tanaka Chabata and Rutendo Makamure won the 2014 edition of the Bulawayo Open Junior Tennis Championships’ boys and girls’ Under-18s respectively at the finals played at Girls College yesterday. Chabata beat Tinashe Hwata 6-1, 6-2 in his last game with Rutendo getting the better of her sister Rumbidzai whom she overcame 6-2, 6-2.
The tournament which was hit by a lower turnout compared to last year’s 120 participants saw 64 budding tennis players competing in the Under-10, 12, 14 and 18 boys and girls categories.
Save for the boys’ Under-14 competition which was won by Ethan Sibanda who beat Taona Mhwandagara 6-3, 6-1 in the final, the rest of the games were played in a round robin format.
Tournament referee Petros Ndhlovu said due to few players making it for the competition they had to resort to a round robin format.
“We had a low but fair turnout maybe because we are in the middle of the school holidays and parents have made plans with their kids. The good thing is that we had 11 players coming from Botswana; a sizable number came in from Harare with Manicaland Province represented by one athlete while the rest are locals.
“Despite having few participants compared to previous editions, I think we had great competition with lots of kids doing well in the Under-10 category which was divided into three with five-six year olds playing the red ball while the six-seven year olds used an orange one then seven-10 year olds competed with the green ball,” said Ndhlovu.
An ecstatic Chabata said he is redirecting his energy to the fifth edition of the Tarryn-Leigh De Souza Memorial competition that starts today and ends on Wednesday.
With the ceremonial home of tennis the Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) is undergoing renovations for December’s African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games, the Tarryn-Leigh De Souza Memorial competition will be played at the Country Club and Girls College.
“I am happy that I won and credit goes to other players who gave me a good run. Without them I wouldn’t have been a champion. Now my aim is to win the Tarryn-Leigh De Souza Memorial so that I pick more points and improve on my country rankings,” Chabata said.
Results
Under 10
WINNER – Munashe Dera
(Red ball) Boys: Ntungamili Raguin beat Liam Chickson 13-2
WINNER – Ntungamili Raguin
Girls: Clementine Bugari beat Jade Chickson 9-6
WINNER – Clementine Bugari
(Orange ball) Boys: Monthati Mophuting beat Tamutsa Khatso 7-6
WINNER – Monthati Mophuting
(Green ball) Boys: Takura Mhwandagara beat Mengesi Sibanda 6-0; Takura Mhwandagara beat Brandon Banda 6-1; Takura Mhwandagara beat Keith Banda 6-0; Lesedi Raguin beat Takura Mhwandagara 6-4; Owen Chitiyo beat Bukhosi Moyo 6-0, 6-1; Mengesi Sibanda beat Brandon Banda 6-0, 6-2
WINNER – Lesedi Raguin
Girls: Munashe Dera beat Karishma Lexmidas 6-0
Under 12
Boys: Denzel Seetso beat Bukhosi Moyo 7-5, 6-2, Denzel Seetso beat Nyasha Mushanga 6-0, 6-0
WINNER – Denzel Seeto
Girls: Lindo Tanhaka beat Nicole Madadangowe 6-3, 6-3; Claire Machisa beat Munashe Shoko 6-0, 6-1; Nicole Matukutire beat Sarah Zhou 6-0-6-3; Lindo Tanhaka beat Nicole Matukutire 6-0, 6-0; Ruvarashe Shoko beat Sarah Zhou 6-2, 7-5; Claire Machisa beat Nicole Matukutire 6-3, 6-1
WINNER – Claire Machisa
Under 14
Boys
Quarter-finals: Taona Mhwandagara beat Loago Saleshando 6-0, 6-0; Mzwandile Luphahla beat Shashworth Rangaswamy 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Phiwo Moyo beat Anesu Kwirirai 6-7 (3), 7-5, 18-8; Ethan Sibanda beat Shane Tapera 6-3, 6-0
Semi-finals: Ethan Sibanda beat Phiwo Moyo 6-1, 6-3; Taona Mhwandagara beat Mzwandile Luphahla 6-1, 6-4
Final: Ethan Sibanda beat Taona Mhwandagara 6-3, 6-1
Girls: Thabisile Dube beat Zandile Mnguni 6-2, 6-2; Takudzwa Mari beat Lynette Phiri 6-1, -6-2; Thabisile Dube beat Tafadzwa Mawisire 6-4, 7-5
WINNER – Thabisile Dube
Under 18
Boys: Tanaka Chabata beat Tinashe Hwata 6-1, 6-2
Winner – Tanaka Chabata
Girls: Rumbidzai Paguwa beat Rumbidzai Makamure 6-1, -6-2; Rumbidzai Paguwa beat Nicole Chigwada 6-3, 6-0; Rutendo Makamure beat Nicole Chigwada 6-0, 6-2; Lorraine Ndiweni beat Nora Tagwineyi 6-2, 4-6, 10-8; Rutendo Makamure beat Rumbidzai Makamure
Winner – Rutendo Makamure
Online Reporter