M. Bright (GBR) 6-4, 6-4 J. Gasigwa (RWA) A. Carpen (ROU) 6-4, 6-4 D. Habiyambere (RWA)I. Nedelko (RUS) 6-4, 6-4 O. Nkunda (RWA) For a sixth time, Rwandans wore gloomy faces as Rwanda failed to post a player in the second round of the ITF Men’s Futures Main draw which triggered off yesterday at Novotel courts.Fielding three players; Jean Claude Gasigwa, Dieudonne Habyambere and Olivier Nkunda, the trio lost 4-6, 4-6 respectively.Gasigwa who was assuming the country’s top seed after Hagenimana’s exclusion opened the slump run when he fell 4-6, 4-6 to England’s Mathew Bright.Rwanda Tennis Federation (RTF)’s technical director and national coach Thierry Ntwali had earlier tipped Gasigwa to win the encounter.“He should have won the game. He controlled it very well but some how let it fall apart at the end,” Ntwali said. Habiyambere who according to Ntwali played his best tennis yesterday also hit the exit after falling to Romania’s Alexandru-Daniel Carpen by a similar score.“Habiyambere displayed exceptional tennis today but he lost because he was playing against a much more experienced player. Carpen is one of the tournament’s favorites,” the RTF official continued.Nkunda who landed an ITF wild card on the eve of the Main Draw event was easily seen off by Russia’s Ivan Nedelko. “All in all, experience has been our players’ major undoing. The opponents have played plenty of games. Throughout the three games, you could tell that these players have great experience. They controlled the game very well,” Ntwali continued.Meanwhile, the tournament’s top seed Middelkoop Matwe could even be destined for an easier event after learning that his main contender Gabriel Moraru had pulled out of the tournament.According to Ntwali, Moraru pulled out due to visa-related issues.Rwanda’s only hopes now lie in the doubles category.Ends
