ITF Futures get underway

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE TWENTY Third Century Systems Futures tournament begins today with most Zimbabwean players in action at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe is fielding six players, Mark Fynn, Martin Dzuwa, Tinotenda Chanakira, Miracle Matanga, Derrick Namanya and Tinashe Chikanda for the tournament which is running up to Saturday. This is the first of the two US$15 000 tournaments being hosted by Tennis Zimbabwe with Twenty Third Century Systems and NetOne sponsoring the events.
Each sponsor is responsible for one event.

It will be a Zimbabwean affair with Fynn taking on Matanga in the morning while Tinashe Chikanda has a date against South Africa’s Rayne Roselt.
Matanga will then team up with Chikanda for the doubles in the afternoon to battle it out against Martin Dzuwa and Namanya.
Fynn and Arkadiusz Kocyla of Poland will play South Africa’s Lance Cohen and Johannes Myburgh.

Dzuwa said he is ready for the challenge and added that he has faith in his fellow countrymen.
“I have been trying to work hard. My preparations have been pretty okay. I have been working hard on my fitness, I think that’s the most important part but I am ready.
“The guys, who are playing here, like most South Africans, they play in the Davis Cup for South Africa so it’s a good challenge for them to be able to rate themselves.

“I know it’s going to be really tough, there are some pretty good players in this tournament so I don’t know what will happen but we will see,” Dzuwa.
Dzuwa, Fynn and Chanakira were part of the Davis Cup team which earned promotion to the 2015 Euro-Africa Zone Group II and hopes are high that they will rise to the occassion.
Zimbabwe co-hosted their first futures event together with South Africa after a seven-year break in 2012.

And, last year, the national association had to postpone the events to this year after they felt that the dates recommended by ITF to host the tournaments were not favourable since they clashed with the festive season.

Zimbabwe’s Takanyi Garanganga won the 2012 event after beating South Africa’s Keith Crowley in the finals.