adminTafadzwa Nyakudanga Sports Reporter
MARK Fynn became the second Zimbabwean to advance to the next round of the ITF NetOne tennis tournament when he beat American Jordan Dyke in straight sets at Harare Sports Club yesterday. It took Fynn just over one hour and 30 minutes to subdue Dyke of the United States 6-4, 6-4. Fynn looked to have wrapped up the match when he was leading in the second set 5-1, but the American seemed to have got his groove back to break Fynn’s three match points.
The top ranked Zimbabwean admitted to not being at his best especially in the second set.
“I thought it was a good match, he played well especially towards the end, and thankfully I managed to hang on.
“My return of serve is an area where I need to work on especially when I play Antal Van Der Duim tomorrow (today),” said Fynn.
Today will be the second time Fynn faces second seed Van Der Duim in the space of seven days. The last time they met Van Der Duim overcame his Zimbabwean opponent 6-3, 6-4.
Fynn has welcomed the opportunity to redeem himself saying, “It is always challenging to play someone that good, but I feel like I have improved ever since I started training in Turkey.”
Tinashe Chikanda could not repeat the heroics of last week’s tournament that saw him progress to the round of 16 as he fell short against Victor Girat Magin of France.
Chikanda lost the match 2-6, 0-6 and blamed his persisting thigh injury because he could not move well in the match and is now expecting to be out of action for more than a week.
The ITF Twenty Third Century Systems tournament winner and favourite for the NetOne tourney Boy Westerhof booked his place in the next round by cruising to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Johannes Myburgh of South Africa.
Another South African who was in action, Keith-Patrick Crowley, beat Japanese Kazuma Kawachi 6-0, 6-2.
Tinashe Chanakira and his partner Michael Grant (USA) failed to beat Lance Cohen and Wesley Westerhof (South Africa) to confirm the end of the Zimbabwean pair’s dream in the doubles when they lost 6-2, 6-2.
It is now up to Fynn and Chanakira to win the singles title when they face the hurdles posed by Van Der Duim and Ruan Roelofse.
Online Reporter