HEINEKEN have continued their unswerving support towards the annual ITF Rwanda F1 Futures by injecting Rwf 6 million into this year’s edition which starts tomorrow at Laico Umubano Hotel.

"The tournament budget is Rwf11 million and we are glad for Heineken’s contribution because it is more than half of the overall budget,” the technical director of Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF) Thierry Ntwali said.

Netherlands’ Middelkoop Matwe will be the highest ranked player in the week-long event which is expected to draw over 52 players from Africa and the world over.

Matwe is 283 on the ATP rankings. Other elite players in contention include India’s Roy Rupesh (446), Egypt’s Mohammed Safwat (587), Morocco’s Fattar Anas (725) and Uganda’s Duncan Mugabe who is ranked 731.

Jean Claude Gasigwa will lead Rwanda’s surge for glory alongside Dieudonne Habiyambere, Olivier Nkunda, Mathieu Uwizeyimana and Melee Bizimana.

Last year, Nkunda, Uwizeyimana and Habiyambere all dropped out in the first round of the qualifying phase while Bizimana finally succumbed to a 5-7, 3-6 straight sets defeat in the second qualifying round against Senegal’s Daouda Ndiaye.

Gasigwa also fell to Great Britain’s Philip Barlow 3-6 4-6 in the first round of the main draw.

Ends