Rwandan players continue to struggle at the ongoing Rwanda Open M25 campaign as hopes of making it to at least the second round of the competition fade. Etienne Niyigena, Ernest Habiyambere and Junior Hakizumwami were granted wild cards to take part in the first week of the competition but they were all eliminated from the very first round without winning a single match. Rwanda landed three more wild cards for the second week of the tournament which underway since Monday, September 11 and runs until Sunday, September 17. The wild cards this time round went to youngster Claude Ishimwe and Joshua Muhire while Hakizumwami was given a second chance to return to the Kigali Ecology Tennis Center clay court one more time after failing to impress during the first week. Unfortunately, their poor showing continues to persist despite playing before the home supporters. Muhire was the first Rwandan to bow out after Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Ukrainian Eric Vonshelboim in the singles first round on Tuesday. READ ALSO: Wenger eyes more silverware at Rwanda Open M25 Week II After losing first set 6-1, the 21-year-old tried to bring the game level in the second set but he fell short of experience against the Ukrainian who went on to win the set 6-4 defeat and advance to the second round. Muhire also lost the doubles after he and countryman Claude Ishimwe fell to a 6-3 6-3 defeat to Indian duo Madan Tushar and Sharma Atharva on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Hakizumwami was hoping to get some points from men’s doubles but his partnership with South African Monsti Siphosothando failed to meet the standards of Indian duo Reddy Rishi and Egyptian Bassem Sobhy who beat them 2-1 in the first round. The same happened to Etienne Niyigena who was also shown exit door from the competition after he and Kenyan partner Kevin Cheruiyot lost 2-0 to India’s Aggarwal Parth and Liberian Suresh Darrshan. Meanwhile, Rwanda Open M25 Week I champion Damien Wenger returns to action on Tuesday targeting to win both the men’s singles and doubles just like he did last week. The Swiss won first week of the tournament after defeating American Oliver Crawford in Sunday’s crunch final in two successive sets 6-4 6-2 to claim his first ever M25 tournament.
