Wednesday, June 19 fixtures

Centre Court

Algeria vs Angola

Court 2

Rwanda vs Burundi

Court 4

Senegal vs Cameroon

Court 7

Kenya vs DR Congo

Rwanda begin their Davis Cup Africa Group IV campaign against neighboring country Burundi on Wednesday, June 19, as they look set to chase promotion for Group III in 2025.

The pair were drawn in Group B alongside Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo during a draw held in host City Luanda, Angola on Tuesday, June 18. Group A includes top seed Algeria, Senegal, Cameroon and host nation Angola.

Coach Dieudonne Habiyambere will be counting on his group of players like Joshua Muhire, Junior Hakizumwami, Ernest Habiyambere and Etienne Niyigena during the competition which runs through Saturday, June 22.

The quartet has been training together for a couple of weeks with a share ambition to challenge their rivals, considering that they are pooled in a group of relatively East African opponents plus DR Congo are also a neighboring country.

A lot is at stake and Habiyambere is only taking every opponent serious as he looks to qualify the country to Group III for the first time, having lost the ticket last year by just inches.

When Rwanda hosted the tournament of similar level at IPRC-Kigali Ecology Tennis Club in 2023, they finished in third place after losing to Ghana 3-0 in their promotion play-off. Ghana and Nigeria were at the time promoted to Group III which remains a top priority for Rwanda ahead of the 2024 edition in Luanda.

It was a devastating moment in the beginning for the 2023 tournament hosts who take the same group in Angola for another promotion push.

"It’s all what we are dreaming to achieve. You can’t go out there just to participate. I think we’ve got enough to be where we at the top. It is what is taking us there,” said Junior Hakizumwami.

The Davis Cup began in 1900as a competition between the United States and Great Britain, then playing under the name British Isles. It’s now the largest annual international team competition in sport, with 155 nations entering in 2023.

The idea of Davis Cup was conceived a year earlier by four members of the Havard University tennis team, who wished to set up a match between USA and Great Britain. Once the two respective national associations had agreed, one of the four players, Dwight Davis, designed a tournament format and ordered and trophy.

The tournament was originally known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, but soon became known as Davis Cup after Dwight Davis’ trophy, which was designed by William Durgin and crafter by Rolland Rhodes.

The tournament will be played in a round robin format after which the top two teams in each group will progress to the promotion playoffs while two bottom teams from each group will compete in the relegation playoff.

The losers in relegation playoff will play in Africa Group V in 2025 while the finalists will win promotion to Africa Group III.

Davis Cup profile

Raking: 105 (106.5 points)

Champions: 0

First year played: 2001

Years played: 18

Ties played: 73 (22-48)

Years in World Group: 0

Most total wins: Eric Hagenimana (19-26)

Most singles wins: Eric Hagenimana (14 - 13)

Most doubles wins: Etienne Niyigena (7-8)

Best doubles team: Eric Hagenimana & Alain Hakizimana (3-5)

Most ties played: Jean Claude Gasigwa (32)

Most years played: Jean Claude Gasigwa (8)