Dzenga wins doubles title

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S top junior girls player Nicole Dzenga did the nation proud at the just-ended NTA Junior International Tennis Federation 18-and-Under tournament when she won the doubles title with her partner Theresa Van Zyl in Windhoek, Namibia, on Friday. The tournament ended on Saturday with the singles finals and was acting as the second leg to the ITF South Central African Junior Circuit held on the first week of this month.

In the first leg, Dzenga reached the doubles final and singles semi-finals. The 16-year-old was the only Zimbabwean player remaining in the competition just like in the first leg although she could not win any title.

However, on Friday, Dzenga teamed-up with Van Zyl of South Africa to beat Namibia’s Lize-Elfrida Moolman and Lesedi Jacobs, the third seeds, 6-1, 6-2 to clinch the title.

On their way to the final, Dzenga and Van Zyl were awarded a walkover against the South African pair of Maxine Bateman and Nicole Petchey.
They went on to dismiss Katie Poluta and Sarah Sarjoo of South Africa 6-3, 6-2 in the next round.

In the singles matches, Dzenga was eliminated in the semi-finals when she lost to her doubles partner Van Zyl 1-6, 4-6. In other matches featuring Zimbabwean players, Tanaka Chakanyuka went down to South Africa’s Caitlin Herb 2-6, 3-6 in the opening matches.

Rufaro Chirewa and Keren Muswere were sent packing in the second round after they both lost their matches.
It was the same story in the boys section as the trio of Alwyn Mushonga, Taremeredzwa Mariga and Tonderai Tapfuma failed to make it to the quarter-finals.

Mushonga, who came in as the top player for the boys, lost to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 2-6, 0-6 in the third round while Mariga and Tapfuma were knocked out in the second round.

Mushonga then partnered Mariga in the doubles and they were defeated by the pair of Jd Malan and Kris Van Wyk 1-6, 1-6. Meanwhile, a 15-member Zimbabwe team is in Gaborone, Botswana, to take part in the ITF/CAT African Junior Circuit. The tournament is targeting Under-12 and 14-and-Under players with participants competing in the boys and girls sections.

Some of the players, Mehluli Sibanda and Karen Machisa, who are the top Under-14 players at national level for the boys and girls respectively, had an opportunity to take part in a training camp that was held on Thursday and Friday ahead of the competition which was expected to take off yesterday.