Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FINALS of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) South Central Under-18 Zim Leg 1 tournament held at Bulawayo Country Club were rained out at the weekend.
The week-long tournament, which was hit by intermittent disruptions from the onset on Monday last week, got to the final of both the boys’ and girls’ categories, but ended without any winners due to wet courts.
Some players are now in Harare to take part in the second-leg of the circuit that starts today.
Zimbabwean Ethan Sibanda was set to face Kevin Edengren from Sweden in the boys’ final, while Tadiwanashe Mauchi had booked a final berth against Anais Laaksonen, but rain had the final say.
Top seed Sibanda beat Takura Mhwandangara 6-2, 6-3 in the first round and dismissed Zamani Moyo 6-1, 6-3 in the second round.
In the quarter-finals, Sibanda edged Lyle Zalomoumis 6-2, 6-0 before breezing past Israeli Itay Bity 6-0, 6-2 in the semi-finals to book a place in the final date with Edengren.
Edengren beat South African Benjamin Scot 6-0, 6-2 in the semi-finals after accounting for Kenyan Jayson Mbongoro 6-0, 7-5 in the quarter-finals.
The tournament is the first international tennis event staged in Zimbabwe since the country went into a lockdown in March as part of measures adopted by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19. — @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu