FOUR Rwandan tennis players are set to represent the country at this year’s Kenya Tennis Open scheduled for June 10-16 in Nairobi. Immediately after the Kenya Open, the four semi-professional tennis players will turn their focus on the forthcoming 2018 Davis Cup to be held from June 18 through June 25 in Kenyan capital. Led by Rwanda’s topseed Ernest Habiyambere, the four-player contingent (for the two competitions) also includes Olivier Havugimana, Dieudonné Habiyambere and Etienne Nigena. The 20-year-old Habiyambere, a former trainee at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) High Performance Center in Morocco, made his debut appearance in the Kenya Tennis Open last year where he was knocked out in quarter-finals. Since the death of former top seed and winner of the 2008 Kenya Open Jean-Claude Gasigwa, Habiyambere has been one of the key tennis players, representing the country in several international competitions, including the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas. Rwanda returned to Davis Cup last year after serving a three-year ban for abruptly missing the 2013 edition at the last minute without tangible reasons. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
