Hunt for World Cup tickets begins at Nairobi Club
What you need to know:
- Rwanda, Tanzania, Morocco and Mauritius will alongside the hosts battle for the sole ticket available to the top men and women’s nation at the end of the competition on Sunday.
- This year’s World Cup will be held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands from May 28 to June 3.
Kenya will be looking for a good start as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) BNP Paribas Wheelchair World Team Cup African qualifiers get underway Thursday morning at the Nairobi Club.
Rwanda, Tanzania, Morocco and Mauritius will alongside the hosts battle for the sole ticket available to the top men and women’s nation at the end of the competition on Sunday. This year’s World Cup will be held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands from May 28 to June 3.
The Kenyan men’s team will be eyeing a maiden World Cup appearance, while their women’s counterparts are seeking a third show at the global showpiece after qualifying in 2014 and 2017.
The hosts will need to overcome stiff opposition especially from Morocco and Tanzania who have formidable players.
Morocco’s top seed Najwa Awane Wednesday defeated home player Phoebe Masika 6-2, 6-4 in the Nairobi Open final, a warm-up event for the qualifiers.
And Masika says they will need to improve if they are to overcome Morocco and seal a third World Cup appearance.
“Morocco has good players who are well exposed and that proved the difference in the final. Our preparations have not been ideal but we are on home soil and promise to give our all,” Maskia said.
Masika will team up with second seed Jane Ndenga, Asiya Mohamed Sururu and Elizabath Njoki in the four-day competition. The quartet were part of last year’s team and coach Lawrence Karanja is banking on their experience once more.
STRONG SIDE
Morocco’s men’s team underlined their intentions of winning the competition after their top two players contested Wednesday’s warm-up final.
Top seed Lhaj Boukartacha, ranked 92nd in the world, beat compatriot Said Himam 6-2, 6-4 in the final.
Boukartacha saw off Kenya’s Peter Munuve 6-2, 6-2 as Himam cruised past Rajab Abdallah Athman with the same scoreline in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
The two Kenyans will be joined by Collins Omondi and debutante Timoi Itaken as they seek to improve on last year’s second place finish after they lost to Tanzania on the last day of the competition.
“We are finally ready to go to the World Cup and we believe we have what it takes after years of heartbreak,” top seed Munuve said.
The draws were due to be conducted Wednesday night at the Nairobi Club by tournament director Elly Madegwa.
