There seems to be one description that can fit all Rwanda’s hyped up sports stars, beyond par. Rwanda’s weak showing in international events continued yesterday when top seed Jean Claude Gasigwa failed to halt his poor form on the ITF Men’s Futures tour losing 3-6, 3-6 to Russia’s Stepan Khotulev in the first round  of the $ 10000 event.

It was a positive display by the country’s top seed but not good enough to see him through to the second round. He also hit the exit in the doubles category after losing (2-6, 2-6) to the Belgian pair of Marco Dierckx and Mario Dierckx. Gasigwa had teamed up with Uganda’s veteran Cedric Babu.

Rwanda’s other pair of Jean Damascene Munyaneza and Janvier Mugwaneza also fell (3-6, 0-6) to Emmanuel Sunday and Candy Idoko from Nigeria.

However all isn’t lost for the host nation as tennis novice Olivier Nkunda worked his way into the second round after a valiant first round display at Novotel Hotel.

The 24-year-old eclipsed his compatriot Janvier Mugwaneza in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) to become only the third Rwandan in the history of the circuit to get to the second round.

Rwanda’s tennis ace Eric Hagenimana and Allan Hakizimana are the other locals to have made it to the second round. But that could be the end of the road for Nkunda who now battles Egypt’s Mortar Abou El Khair in the second round.

The Egyptian who is seeded fifth in the circuit is eager to make amends after a quarter-finals’ exit in the Burundi leg.

Ends