By Our Reporter
TEAM Nigeria made a
strong statement in their bid to secure promotion to Africa Zone Group II in
the Davis Cup by hammering Rwanda 3-0 as action in Pool A of Group III got
underway at the Nairobi Club in Kenya.
Sylvester Emmanuel
gave the team the needed boost with victory in the first singles rubber as he
beat 19-year-old Ernest Habiyambere 6-1, 7-5 in 67 minutes.
Joseph Imeh, the
country’s number one player, then set his side on full cruise in the second
singles rubber with a 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of captain, Olivier Havugimana in
just 48 minutes.
In the third rubber,
the doubles, the pair of Christian Paul and Joseph Imeh proved too hot for the
duo of Hamissi Gatete and Etienne Niyigena as they breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 win to
end the tie on a high and sit atop Pool A.
The Nigerian team
will fancy their chances when they come up against West African neighbours,
Cameroon in their next match on Thursday, 22 June. Cameroon were beaten 2-1 by
Benin Republic.
26-year-old Etienne
Teboh fell to a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Felix Hounkpevi of Benin in the first
rubber, while Alexis Klegou of Benin, who featured in the recently concluded
ITF Futures event in Abuja, beat Blaise Nkweti 6-3, 7-6(4) in the second
rubber. Cameroon claimed their only win in the doubles as Cedric Wouobong
Ngoumtsa teamed up with Dieu Ne Dor Midzie to beat Felix Hounkpevi and Magloire
Yakpa 7-6(6), 7-6(2).
In Pool B, table
toppers, Kenya registered their second win of the tournament with a 3-0 victory
over Mozambique, while Namibia bounced back from an opening tie loss to Algeria
to claim a 2-1 victory over Uganda.
Teams will have to
finish in the top two of their pools to have any chance of advancing to Group
II. The winner of Pool A will play the runner-up in Pool B, with the winner of
Pool B facing a tussle against the runner-up in Pool A. The final two teams
will be promoted.
Report:
tennisng.com
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