Gasigwa, top seed Habiyambere lead Rwanda’s team

AFTER a failed attempt to lift the Kenya Open, Rwanda’s tennis ace Jean Claude Gasigwa is in Kampala to compete in the Castle Lite Uganda Open, which gets underway today at Lugogo Tennis Club.

Gasigwa lost the quest to win the Kenya Open over the weekend after losing to Uganda’s Duncan Mugabe 6-2 6-2 7-5 in the semi-finals. He went on to team up with Kenya’s Francis Rogoi in the doubles’ category but also lost 2-6 2-6 to Mugabe who had teamed up with home boy Allan Cooper in the final.

Gasigwa, who reached the Open final in 2008, is eager to renew his rivalry with Ugandan ace Duncan Mugabe, who is likely to be the tournament’s top seed.

Gasigwa told Times Sport on Sunday, "I’m heading to Kampala for the Uganda Open. I hope I will be able to put up good performances and win the tournament.”

"Mugabe is the biggest threat to anyone in this competition and the fact that he will be playing on his home turf with massive support behind him, he should be favourite, but I hope to put on a good fight,” added Gasigwa.

Mugabe goes into the Uganda Open in confident mood following his triumph in the Kenya Open where he easily dispatched Kenyan top seed Cooper 6-2 6-1 to win the Kenya Open for the second year running.

Rwanda’s other players in the Uganda Open  include top seed Dieudonne Habiyambere, Olivier Nkunda, Mathew Uwizeyimana and Megan Ingabire. The winner in the men’s singles category will walk away with $1,200 (about Rwf0.8m).

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