Rwandan tennis player Junior Hakizumwami will face Madagascar’s Tefy Ranja Rabarijaona in the semi-finals of the ongoing ITF Tennis World Tour Junior Grade 5 tournament after seeing off his Rwandan rival Claude Ishimwe in Wednesday’s quarterfinal game at Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club. READ ALSO: ITF World Tennis Tour: Ishimwe, Hakizumwami through to quarter finals Hakizumwami, who is showing an improved level during the tournament, won two straight sets (6-3, 7-5) against Ishimwe to set a dream semifinal date with Rabarijaona who also progressed to the last four after a hard-fought 2-1 (6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (5)) victory over Egyptian Hassan Hashish. The semi-final tie will take place Thursday, April 27. In doubles, Hakizumwami and Ishimwe teamed up in the quarter finals but their partnership failed to flourish as they fell to a 2-0 shock defeat at the hands of Egyptian Hassan Hashish and Burundian Abdoul Shakur Malick. ALSO READ: Over 50 players confirmed for ITF World Tennis tour The ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors tournament is one of the six international tennis tournaments that Rwanda will host in 2023. A total of 52 tennis players from 18 countries, including host nation Rwanda, are attending the week-long tournament which started in Kigali on Monday, April 24 and runs through Friday April 28. Rwanda had the highest representation at the tournament with 15 players. Other countries that are represented include Egypt, Madagascar, Poland, India, Kenya, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Burundi, Canada, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Taiwan, Belgium, South Africa and Moldova.
