ZIMBABWE’S number one tennis player, Takanyi Garanganga’s brilliant run in Nigeria finally came to an end, after succumbing to a straight-sets defeat to Netherlands’ Antal van der Duim in the final of the $1 500 Governor’s Cup Tennis Championship in Lagos on Saturday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
According to reports from Nigeria, Garanganga, who was backed by a strong Nigerian crowd, lost 6-3, 7-6 to his Dutch opponent at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.
The match was a repeat of quarter-final match of last week’s Nigeria F3 Futures 3, where Garanganga beat van der Duim in straight sets before being stopped in the final.
In the final on Saturday, Van Der Duim got his revenge, after getting the better of Garanganga.
The defeat ended what had been a remarkable week for the 25-year-old United States-based Zimbabwean star, who was aiming to end the year by claiming a seven professional singles title.
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Garanganga had caused the biggest upset of the tournament, knocking out the top seed, Aldin Setkic from Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 win in the semi-finals.
The Governor’s Cup Tennis, a tournament organised to celebrate the sitting governor of Lagos State since the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, featured players from more than 40 countries in this year’s 15th edition.
Meanwhile, Tennis Zimbabwe has named a 12-member team to take part in the zonal qualifiers for the prestigious African Junior Championships to be held in Pretoria, South Africa, next year.
The championships will run from January 9 to 17 and will feature a number of players from Southern African countries in the Under-16, 14 and 12 age categories.
TZ secretary-general Cliff Nhokwara said the players would not be going into camp, but they would work with their individual coaches until they leave for South Africa.
Squad Girls: Clay Machisa, Nicole Matukutire (Under-12); Charlotte Juakinyu, Vimbai Moyo (Under-14); Beverly Matsiwe, Munashe Kaome (Under-15)
Boys: Michael Happy, Bukhosi Moyo (Under-12); Peter Sibanda, Tinashe Taruberekera (Under-14); Andrew Kunaka, Tanaka Chapata (Under-15)