The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
RISING Mutare tennis player, Tashinga Mtisi’s star keeps shining after being roped into the country’s Davis Cup team together with other three talented junior players.
Even though the Zimbabwe Davis Cup tennis team was relegated to Africa Group III after suffering a 2-3 defeat at the hands of visiting Uruguay in the World Group II play-offs that ended at Harare Sports Club on Monday, the experience of being in camp with seniors and learning the ropes was worthwhile for Mtisi together with Thompson Tom, Shyne Tapera and Takura Mhwandagara, who were named as the junior players for the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team.
In a tightly contested tie that had to be decided in the last rubber as the two sides were tied at two-all after four matches, Zimbabwe’s Courtney Lock lost the decisive reverse singles match to Ignavio Carou on Monday 3-6, 6-3, 4-6.
Mtisi’s coach at Mantas Tennis Academy Vincent Nyatoti said the experience gained while on attachment to the Davis Cup team is priceless.
“We are grateful for the initiative to have youngsters to be part of the Davis Cup team. It is something that will give them exposure to the big stage and when they get used to it, it will be easy for them when their time comes,” said Nyatoti.
Mtisi has since left the country for Egypt for the Africa Junior Championships (AJC) contest.
In the past, the Davis Cup team would have four senior players only, but the current team for Zimbabwe roped in four juniors as part of the grooming and continuation guarantee.
Benjamin and Courtney Lock, Mehluli Sibanda and Tinaye Badza and captain, Takanyi Garan’anga make up the Davis Cup squad.
The Zimbabwe men’s national tennis team represents Zimbabwe in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Zimbabwe Tennis Association. Zimbabwe currently competes in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II.
They last competed in the World Group in 2000.
Meanwhile, Mutare’s Mantas Tennis Academy has set out its calendar for 2023 season which will see the prestigious competition formerly known as Mantas Open, now the Thomas Franklin Martin Memorial Competition being held from April 25 to 28 before the Manicaland Open kicks-off on April 28 to May 1.
Before that, a plan to partner Mutare Boys’ High and Mutare Girls’ High is on the cards for the Shumbas Tournament in March. Monthly competitions, Universal Rating Tournament (UTR), an American system that gives a player points that earn international ranking, are also on the cards.
The higher the ranking, the better chances of the player being enrolled in the US college tennis scholarship.
