The Sunday Mail
THE Zimbabwe Davis Cup team will be eyeing a place in the Euro/Africa Group II when the Africa Zone Group III tournament begins in Egypt next month.
Zimbabwe will battle it out with Algeria, Benin, Congo, Botswana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia and Rwanda at the 11-nation tourney that commences on September 8 at the Smash Tennis Academy in Cairo.
The teams will be split into two round-robin pools, with play-offs determining the two teams to be promoted to the 2015 Davis Cup Euro/Africa Zone Group II.
Zimbabwe missed promotion by a whisker at the 2013 edition, going down 1-2 to hosts Egypt in the play-offs.
Egypt and Morocco, another continental giant, have since been promoted to the Euro/Africa Group II, paving the way for Zimbabwe to make the long-awaited jump.
Veteran player Martin Dzuwa will lead a team that comprises the United states-based duo of Takanyi Garanganga and Benjamin Lock as well as Mark Fynn who plies his trade in Turkey.
Garanganga, who is ranked 294 in the world singles, remains Zimbabwe’s leading light while Fynn’s contribution in the doubles could be vital.
Fynn is the best ranked Zimbabwean on the doubles tour at number 587 but is a distant 1 043 in the singles.
Lock currently sits at number 1 217 on the singles and is ranked 1 828th in the doubles category.
Tennis Zimbabwe administrator Cliff Nhokwara revealed that the association would require at least $10 000 for airfares and accommodation for the team which is expected to be in Cairo by September 4.
“We are working on the airfares and visas right now, it will all depend on the players’ location at the time of the tourney because some of them will be on ITF tours.
“The ITF tours are good for their preparations as well because they are taking in the run-up to the Davis Cup tournament.
“Ideally, we want the players to be in Cairo by September 4 so that they acclimatise,” said Nhokwara.
TZ got a shot in the arm from traditional tennis sponsors Old Mutual who pumped in $17 000 a fortnight ago.
At its peak, the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team reached the World Group stage in 1998 when the Black brothers Byron and Wayne claimed the scalps of highly fancied tennis nations like Australia. The game has been on a decline ever since the Blacks retired.
