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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
Former Zimbabwean tennis star Wayne Black says he was pleased to see the Davis Cup team making strides by winning promotion into the Euro-Africa Zone Group II at the qualifiers in Cairo, Egypt, last week.Black, who featured in 77 Davis Cup ties for Zimbabwe, winning 47 and losing 30, formed the back-bone of the team with his brother Byron when the country played against some of the best teams in the world in the late 1990s and before the turn of the new millennium.

But since the Black brothers’ retirement from tennis, Zimbabwe Davis Cup tennis campaign has failed to scale those heights.

Zimbabwe have been struggling to move away from Africa Zone Group III for the past four years.

Last year they made it to the play-offs, but lost to the hosts Egypt.

However, last week, the team of non-playing captain Martin Dzuwa, Takanyi Garanganga, Tinotenda Chanakira, Mark Fynn and Benjamin Lock finally broke the jinx when they beat Namibia 2-0 in the play-offs on Saturday.

They had finished top in Pool A and then defeated Pool B’s runners-up Namibia to qualify for Africa Group II.

“These boys have done a very good job. We, as a family, are happy that we are back into the Davis Cup. Let’s hope this is a nice stepping stone to further success.

“There is not much advice I can give, they just need experience and once they get the experience they will get better and better,” said Wayne Black.
Tennis Zimbabwe president Regis Bhunu added that Zimbabwe’s promotion into Euro-Africa Group II is a positive development for the sport.

“It’s quite a big boost. Firstly the qualification has shown the progress our players have made. When we went for that one, we were quite confident that this time we would qualify.

“We could see that our players have continued to improve. To the nation it will be a big boost to all tennis enthusiasts because there are possibilities of some of the matches being played in Zimbabwe. The chances are that if they are played in Zimbabwe it will attract more people to come and watch tennis at a higher level,” Bhunu said.

Bhunu paid tribute to the players and the various stakeholders that made the promotion a reality through their support.

Old Mutual were part of the sponsors as they gave the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team a cash donation of US$17 330 prior to their departure for Egypt.

“Truly this is a big boost. We have to thank the players, our partners and also thank the parents of these players. They played a big role for their kids to be at the qualifiers. We hope this will open avenues for sponsorship for the players.

“Probably, we will see an increase in tennis activity in the country, just the momentum that we have qualified is huge to the country,” said Bhunu.
Garanganga, who was part of the triumphant Zimbabwe Davis Cup team in Egypt, was also over the moon on Sunday.

“We won yesterday against Namibia to take the Davis Cup Trophy for our Zone!!! We are the African Champions!!! Now onto the next Euro-Africa Zone, watch out!!!! So pumped (up), so proud . . . let’s go Zimbabwe!!!” Garanganga wrote on his Facebook wall.

The Sports Commission director-general, Charles Nhemachena, also hailed the team for their successful adventure in Egypt.

“The Sports Commission has received Team Zimbabwe’s victory at the Davis Cup qualifiers held in Cairo, Egypt, with joy and celebration that Zimbabwe’s glory is being rediscovered.

“On behalf of the Sports Commission board, management and staff, I would like to congratulate our tennis team for winning the Davis Cup qualifiers. This is indeed a demonstration that the development programme that was embarked on by Tennis Zimbabwe is beginning to pay off.

“It’s our hope that the various sponsors, who may have been sitting on the fence, will now recommit themselves once again to tennis. As a commission we are proud that our flag is continuously being flown high by our various sporting ambassadors.

“Going forward we hope that the same focus and determination will be maintained for the good of tennis and the nation in general,” said Nhemachena.

Two of the country’s top tennis coaches Shepherd Manyumbu and Enock Tafirenyika also saluted the Davis Cup team for their heroics in Egypt.