Kenya off to good start in World qualifiers

Kenya got off to a winning start in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) BNP Paribas Wheelchair World Team Cup African qualifiers at the Nairobi Club on Thursday.

The men’s team beat Ghana 3-0 in their Pool B opener while their women counterparts saw off Morocco 2-1.

The Kenya men’s team led by top seed Peter Munuve and Collins Omondi won their respective singles matches. Munuve beat Maclean Atsu 6-0, 6-1 before Omondi saw off Francis Boateng 6-2, 6-1.

Rajab Athmani, the third Kenyan later teamed up with Munuve in the doubles match as they masterminded a 6-0,6-0 thrashing of Boateng and Atsu.

Munuve was pleased with the good start noting the team can qualify for the World Cup with such performances.

“We are playing at home and it is very important that we make use of the advantage to seal our spot in the World Cup,” he said.

The women's team was also not to be left behind as the duo of Jane Ndenga and Phoebe Masika secured a crucial win. Top seed Ndenga beat Najwa Awane 7-6(4), 6-1 while Masika was a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Naima Habboubi. The home players won the doubles encounter 6-1, 6-3 against the Moroccan pair.

In other results, Nigeria men's team beat the Gambia 3-0 in Pool A while Tanzania upset Egypt 2-1.

Six women's teams and seven men's teams are taking part in the four day event.

Both the Kenyan men and women's team will have a rest on Friday before playing their final pool matches against Cameroon on Saturday.

A win will put the two teams in Sunday's final against the top team in the other men and women's pool. The top men and women's team will qualify for the World Cup due May 1 to 7 , 2017 in Sardinia, Italy.