Tapfuma in ITF quarter-finals

African circuit when he beat Vladimir Makic of Burundi 6-4, 6-1 at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The number one seed had earlier on dismissed Christiaan La Grange of South Africa 6-3, 6-1.

Tapfuma was satisfied with his performance and is optimistic of a good result in today’s match.
“Today’s match was okay. I played well, I didn’t want to push myself too much because I have been playing for the past four weeks and I am feeling a bit tired.

“However, the competition is still okay, I just need to focus,” said Tapfuma.
The 17-year-old takes on Joshua Luck of South Africa in today’s quarter-finals.

Luck defeated Lame Botshoma 6-1, 7-6 (1) to reach the last eight.
Second seed Matthew Rossouw of South Africa dismissed Takudzwa Muswere 6-2, 6-1 and has a date against Innocent Mhere while another Zimbabwean player Courtney Lock takes on Guy Orly

Iradukunda of Burundi in the other quarter-final match.
Lock beat South Africa’s Adrian Du Toit 6-4, 6-0.

Gabri’el Teja of Kenya overpowered Ronzai Saurombe 6-4, 7-6 (2).
He takes on Tuki Jacobs of Namibia who beat Okkie Kellerman of South Africa 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
In the girls’ category, top seed Valeria Bhunu overcame Mauritius’ Emmanuelle De Beer 6-3, 6-2 to book a place in the semi-finals.
Bhunu will battle it out against third seed IIze Hattingh of South Africa in the last four.

The other semi-final match will feature second seed Pauline Chawafambira, who beat South Africa’s Elaine Van Zyl 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals, and Elizabeth Kapari of Ghana. Kapari beat Nicole Dzenga 6-2, 6-2 in the other quarter-final tie yesterday.
In the boys doubles, Tapfuma teamed-up with Zibusiso Ndimande to beat Tuki Jacobs and Zandre Duvenhage of Namibia 3-6, 7-5, 10-8. The pair of Iradukunda and Benmo Oparison of Nigeria dismissed Zimbabwe’s Brandon Levendale and Karl Midlane 6-3, 6-3. South Africa’s La Grange and his partner Vladimir Makic of Burundi overpowered Tafadzwa Mahachi and Ngonidzashe Mudoti 6-2, 6-1.

In the girls doubles section, Melissa Laing and Liniques Theron beat Nicole Dzenga and Vimbai Ugaro 6-1, 6-4 while Elizabeth Kapari of Ghana and Damaris Musera of Kenya outclassed Nicole Dumbujena and Thembela Ndlovu 6-0, 6-0.
However, Kapari and Musera went down to Hattingh and Jessica Simpson 6-0, 6-0.
The matches continue today with the boys fighting for honours in the quarter-finals while the girls take a rest. They resume play tomorrow in the semi-finals.