The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
BENJAMIN LOCK is inching up the world rankings, sitting at number 401 on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tree.
The 24-year-old is 39 places above countryman Takanyi Garanganga and could play as the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team’s number one at the Africa Zone III tournament starting in Egypt tomorrow.
Garanganga, who’s highest ever ranking is 228 in 2014, has been having a tough time on tour but remains a key member of Team Zimbabwe.
While Lock earned points in recent Futures Tournaments, Garanganga was doing business in the more challenging Challenger Tournaments and brings invaluable experience to the locker room.
Davis Cup non-playing captain Martin Dzuwa said having both Lock and Garanganga available for the battle to gain promotion into the Euro/Africa Zone Group II was a big plus.
“At the end of the day the rankings don’t really matter for us; just having both Benjie and Takanyi available puts us in a very good position to win this tournament,” he said. “Benji played a Futures tournament in Egypt while Takanyi was active in Portugal and both players are eager to do well for the nation and themselves as well.”
The rest of the team comprises Mark Fynn, Tadiwa Chinamo and Mehluli Sibanda.
Dzuwa reckons Zimbabwe has enough in its arsenal to blow away the competition.
“It will be tough but I have confidence in the guys. They are hungry for success and have been talking of getting promotion since the day we got relegated. Nations such as Algeria, Benin and the hosts Egypt have good teams but if we come to the party they will not be able to handle us,” he said.
A top two finish in Egypt is all Zimbabwe needs to get into the Davis Cup Euro/Africa Group II.
The other nations vying for promotion are Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Rwanda.
