Habiyambere makes winning start at ITF Meet

Selected resultsU-16 Boys’ Singles E. Habiyambere [Rwa] bt Kebede Yabsira [Eth] 6-1, 6-1Martin Meshuko [Tan] bt Mandour Mohamed [Sud] w/oKabura Shabani [Bur] bt Fakri Ahamada [Com] 6-1, 6-2Frank Menard [Tan] bt Olivier Kigotho [Ken] 6-0, 6-1Saidi Nkurunziza [Bur] bt Hasan Mogamed [Sud] w/oEmmanuel Mallya bt Hassane Maoulida [Com] 6-0, 6-0Sadiki Ibrahim [Tan] bt Nehmia Molla [Eth] 6-2, 6-1U-16 Girls’ Singles Memba Waittherero [Ken] bt Olive Tuyisenge [Rwa] 7-4 {4}, 3-6, 6-0Judy Nkatha [Ken] bt Henriete Mutesi [Rwa] 6-1, 6-1Kaindoah Georginah [Tan] bt Zeru Madhere [Eth] 6-1, 6-1U-14 Boys’ Singles Brian Ndahiro [Rwa] bt Albert Njogu [Ken] 6-2, 6-4Fabrice Tuyishime [Rwa] bt Rashid Salehe [Tan] 6-2, 5-7, 6-0U-12 Boys’ Singles Bertin Karenzi [Rwa] bt Denzel Larporte [Sey] 6-2, 6-0RWANDAN players ensured a good start to the ITF/CAT East African U-16 Junior Championships which got underway over the weekend at the Gymkhana Club in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.The tournament, which will help unseeded players break into the International Tennis Federation (ITF) ratings, attracted players from 11 countries.Leading the Rwandan charge is Africa’s seed two Ernest Habiyambere, who ousted Kebede Yabsira of Ethiopia 6-1, 6-1 in the first round.In the Under 14 category, Rwanda’s Brian Ndahiro and Fabrice Tuyishime also booked places in the second round after wins over Kenya’s Albert Njogu and Rashid Salehe of Tanzania 6-2, 6-2 and 6-2, 5-7, 6-0, respectively.In the Under 12 category, homeboy Bertin Karenzi beat Denzel Larporte of Seychelles 6-2 and 6-0 to book his place in the second round.But homeboy Olive Tuyisenge faced early elimination after losing 4-7 {4} 6-3 0-6 to Kenya’s Memba Waittherero.Habiyambere will now take on Tanzanian Menard Frank in the second round.Participating countries include Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles and Sudan and hosts Tanzania.The International Tennis Federation (ITF) representative for East and Central Africa, Thierry Ntwali of Rwanda, said the championship was of great importance to developing tennis on the continent.

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Habiyambere makes winning start at ITF Meet