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Sports Reporter
SECOND seed in the girls’ singles at the ongoing International Tennis Federation (ITF) J60 tournament Sasha Chimedza is through to the final after beating Sohini Sanjay Mohanty in the semi-final yesterday at Harare Sports Club.
Chimedza outclassed Sanjay Mohanty, seeded third 6-3, 6-0 in straight sets to cruise to the final.
The 16-year-old faces top seed Andraina Mitia Voavy of Madagascar today.
Voavy beat eighth seed Farah Heddar 7-5, 6-1 in the other semi-final.
The Zimbabwean player took some time to settle into the match with Sanjay Mohanty from India taking the first two games and at some point was leading 3-1.
But Chimedza upped her game to turn the tables in her favour to claim the first set 6-3. She took control of the match to secure her place in the final with a 6-3, 6-0 victory.
“It feels good like back when I played and won the tournament, it feels the same like (the) excitement and I am just really happy with how I am playing, and I just want to continue playing well.
“The strategy was to just attack, be aggressive, and have fun. I was down but I wasn’t thinking about it too much, I was just thinking of playing my game and obviously seeing how she is playing and adjusting to it. But mostly just playing my game and enjoying it.
“I think after I was 3-1 down I was still playing the same game, I think I got better, started missing less I guess because I kept playing the way I just wanted to, got better and I just saw the match finishing but it was a solid match. I started just playing best and having fun on the court,” said Chimedza.
Chimedza won one of the tournaments in 2021 when Zimbabwe hosted similar events that have become a permanent feature on the local tennis calendar. The tournaments are part of the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and cater for 18-and-Under players.
Going into this tournament, Chimedza said she wants “to just enjoy and have fun and inspire other kids to keep playing.”
“I think it’s still the same. I am not changing anything, just going there having fun, enjoying the game and playing the best I possibly can.
“We are actually friends (with Voavy) so it’s a good match. I am really excited to just play, (and) do what I love,” said Chimedza.
In the boys’ singles Lev Seidman from USA takes on China’s Fumin Jiang in the final. Seidman beat Amir Asylkozhaev 6-1, 6-1, while Jiang dismissed Allan Gatoto 7-6(8), 2-6, 7-5.
Most local players bowed out in the early rounds of the singles matches in both the boys and girls draws.
Besides Chimedza making it to today’s final, Tadiwanashe Mauchi reached the quarterfinals.
Mauchi also teamed up with Iriela Rajaobelina for the doubles and lost in the final to the pair of Voavy and Harena Voaviandraina 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 yesterday.
In the boys’ doubles Zimbabwe’s Thompson Thomu teamed up with Liam Channon of Great Britain and they went on to win the title when beating the pair of Allan Gatoto and Lev Seidman 7-5, 7-5.
Online Reporter