A total of 53 African tennis players have confirmed their participation at the 2023 Davis Cup Africa Group IV tournament that will take place in Kigali from July 26-29.
Host nation Rwanda is among eight countries which will be represented at the continental tennis showpiece alongside Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria.
Etienne Niyigena, Ernest Habiyambere, Junior Hakizumwami and Joshua Muhire were part of the team that lost to Togo in last year’s Davis Cup final costing Rwanda a Group III promotion.
The quartet was again named in Rwanda’s five-man squad for the 2023 Davis Cup edition with 17-year-old Claude Ishimwe being the only new face in last year’s team, replacing US-based Bertin Karenzi who was dropped from the squad for a yet-to-be-communicated reason.
Theonest Karenzi, the president of Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF) believes that the current team has prepared enough to bounce back from last year’s final loss to earn a promotion ticket this year before home supporters.
"The goal is to win the trophy, thus qualifying for the Africa Group III games in 2024. Last year, the boys tried but they fell through the final. They at least managed to stay in the Africa Group IV, so hope they do better this year,” Karenzi said.
"The players vowed to win this trophy because they have been in the camp for over one-month and half practicing every day. We believe the coaches selected the right team, a competitive one and we have confidence and faith in the players.”
With just three days until the tournament kickoff, Karenzi said that everything is in place as Kigali Ecology Club prepares to host the continental tennis tournament for the second time in a row.
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"Everything is in place, the balls, grounds...Just a few simple things can be sorted at any time,” Karenzi said.
Teams jet in
Ghana was the first team to arrive in Kigali on Sunday while more teams are expected to jet in on Monday. The last team will land in town on July 25, just a day before the tournament kicks off.
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The tournament format
The draw, due July 25, will see teams divided into two groups with four teams in each. The groups stages will be played in a round robin format throughout three days.
The top two in each group cross over in a promotional playoff (A1 v B2, B1 v A2) which will determine two nations that will compete in Africa Group III in 2024.
Meanwhile, the bottom two teams in each group will cross over in relegation playoffs (A3 v B4, B3 v A4) where the last two nations will be relegated in Group V.