Zim whitewashed in Davis Cup

Zimpapers Sports Hub

IT keeps getting worse for Zimbabwe’s Davis Cup tennis team.

Yesterday, they slid into the World Group III after succumbing to a whitewash defeat by Morocco in a Group II play-off at Harare Sports Club.

The North Africans sealed a 4-0 victory after winning the reverse singles.

Morocco had taken a firm grip of the tie — on Day One on Friday— when winning the singles matches.

By the time the doubles and one of the reverse singles were completed, the hosts exercised the prerogative to opt out of the dead rubber singles match and save themselves and their fans further agony.

From the moment top seed Benjamin Lock was ruled out of the tie due to injury, it was always going to be a tough ask against the Moroccans.

Benjamin was forced to watch from the stands owing to a shoulder injury and the onus to lead Zimbabwe was placed on his younger brother Courtney.

Courtney, predominantly a doubles player, could, however, not rally a hugely inexperienced team to any win in the tie.

Of the three players who made the Zimbabwe team, Courtney is the only ranked player in the singles category at lowly 2 068, while Ethan Sibanda and Ronan Mtisi are still to get a rating.

Sibanda, who partnered Lock yesterday, has a doubles ranking of 2 222.

That underlines the depths to which tennis in Zimbabwe has sunk.

Sibanda and Mtisi are aged 21 and 18, respectively, and were in the team on the developmental slots.

Morocco went into the tie clear favourites and yesterday wrapped up what turned out to be one-sided affairs, with two victories in doubles match and reverse singles.

The North African duo of Elliot Benchetrit and Younes Laarousi thrashed Lock and Mtisi 6-1, 6-1 in the doubles.

Morocco made sure of a comprehensive victory when Karim Bennani beat Mtisi 6-4,6-3 in the only reverse singles match played at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

With the visitors sealing the tie on the back of an unassailable 4-0 lead, the match pitting Courtney and Morocco top-seed Benchetrit was cancelled.

There was virtually nothing to write home about in yesterday’s doubles match as Morocco’s pair of Benchetrit and Laarousi needed only 49 minutes to dispatch their opponents in straight sets.

Yet the doubles were the ones which the hosts had pinned their comeback hopes on.

Things only got worse from there on as Mtisi was also easily dispatched, this time the match lasting 55 minutes.

The result means Morocco remain in the World Group II while Zimbabwe have been relegated once again.

Zimbabwe’s non-playing captain Gwinyai Tongoona lamented the loss of Benjamin shortly before Morrocco’s arrival on Thursday.

“Yeah, the minute we lost Benji (Lock), the odds were against us,” said Tongoona.

“It just shows how important he is to the team and how important it is for us to develop and encourage some of these younger players to play at a higher level.

“Ronan (Mtisi) played well and when Ethan (Sibanda) played, he competed well; however, the guys from Morocco were more experienced, which turned to be the difference.

“Three of four of the Moroccans are playing Challengers, which is a higher level than what our guys are playing.

“I think Ronan is still playing Juniors.

“We need to promote our players, get them to higher and competitive tennis after which I think we will be able to compete against some of these teams and players,” he said.

For Tongoona, though, the tie was not without its positives.

“The youngsters showed that they are able to compete; all they need now are more games, refine their skills and work a little harder.

“Playing more competitive tournaments will improve areas of their game.

“We are now going back to the Africa World Group III and, hopefully, we will have a stronger lineup next time we are promoted,” he said.