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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S girls top player Nicole Dzenga stormed into the singles finals at the ongoing South Central African Junior Circuit second leg when she beat second seed Tatachar Venugopal of India in yesterday’s semi-finals at Harare Sports Club. Dzenga, seeded fourth, defeated Venugopal 6-4, 7-5 to progress to the finals and she will battle it out against France’s Tessah Andrianjafitrimo today.
Andrianjafitrimo beat top seed Theresa Van Zyl 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Van Zyl won the title in the first leg played last week.
After a good show in the singles, Dzenga then teamed up with Van Zyl to clinch the doubles title in the finals after Rikeetha Pereira and her partner Andrianjafitrimo retired just after two games as Pereira fell sick during the match.
The 16-year-old expressed her excitement yesterday for winning her first doubles title in this tournament and managing to pull through to singles finals, especially after a bad start last week in the first leg where she failed to go beyond the first round.
“Today I played well. I was not really nervous for my match, so I think that’s what really allowed me to play my game.
“I am just excited to play tomorrow, I know the girl is very tough and she is young so I know she is going to be a good player but I just hope that the match is going to be good tomorrow.
“I just watched her match today (yesterday) and I saw like how she plays and then I will work with my coaches and see what I must do to try and pull through tomorrow.
“I am happy that I won my first doubles title, so that’s good and just to be in the finals feels very nice. I am just happy to be in that position.
“I had mental reflection on how I played last week so that helped me to step up this week and also because I lost I just wanted to get my confidence back and that’s why this week was much better than last week,” said Dzenga.
Her partner, Van Zyl, said although she lost the singles title, she was happy to win the doubles and noted that it has been a tough tournament for the past two weeks.
“We got through some tough sets in the second round matches and today the other girl (Rikeetha) was really sick so she had to retire but I think the competition in general was very tough.
“In a way it was a good tournament, so I am happy. This is our first time playing together (with Nicole) and it was quite nice, we know each other very well and we are good friends.
“I am happy to play with her and it was really nice. I am feeling good because this is my first doubles title since South Africa, so I am happy, I can say I can play doubles,” said Van Zyl.
In the boys’ doubles Courtney Lock and Lloyd Harris defended their title after beating the pair of Aziz Dougaz and Gueninle Ouattara 4-6, 6-3, 10-3.
The pair had a good run since last week when they won the title in the first leg.
In the boys’ singles top seed Guy Orly Iradukunda of Burundi prevailed over Lloyd Harris of South 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 as he made clear his intention of retaining the title he won in the first leg.
He will fight for honours against Brandon Laubser, who overpowered Aziz Dougaz 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 in the other semi-final match.
The tournament ends today with the singles finals for both boys and girls.
Online Reporter