FIVE Rwandan players have stepped up preparations for this year’s Real Insurance Lawn Tennis Kenya Open set to run from May 31 to June 2 at Nairobi Club.

According to Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF), top seed Jean Claude Gasigwa will lead the Rwandan contingent which will also be comprised of Dieudonne Habiyambere, Mubarak Harerimana, Olivier Havugimana and Megane Ingabire who is the lone player in the women category.

Qualifying rounds for the men and women senior event will be held on June 15 with winners joining seeded players.

All defending champions have confirmed participation in the senior singles and doubles in ladies and men as well as the junior boys’ and girls’ categories that will feature Under 10 to 18 contestants.

Veterans aged over 40 and wheelchair divisions will be drawn to compete with the seniors in a maximum of three events while juniors are restricted to a single and doubles.

This year’s entries have been received from East Africa and other regions including Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Last year, Gasigwa lost to Uganda’s Duncan Mugabe who triumphed over the Rwandan to claim his second Kenya Open title.

Mugabe, who lost to Gasigwa in the semi-final of the Uganda Open recovered from a set down to blow away the Rwandan veteran 5-7 6-2 6-1.