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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
IT’S that time of the year when aspiring junior tennis players brace up for the season opener with the New Winners tournament scheduled for next week at Harare Sports Club. The annual tournament, which marks the beginning of the season, is slated for January 3 to 5, with players from across the country getting the opportunity to check their readiness for the season.

The tournament targets players of different age-groups as they fight for honours in the Under-10s, Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18. Tournament director Enock Tafirenyika said this is an important event for most juniors since it sets the tone for the upcoming season.

“I am expecting fireworks since it’s the first tournament of the year. It also gives the kids a chance to prove themselves, whether they are going to be a force to reckon to with in 2018. It’s the first of the year, so doing well in this tournament gives them that advantage, the confidence and the edge.

“In terms of development, I think it’s good for the game and it also helps the kids to actually have a checkpoint on themselves and see how they are doing,” said Tafirenyika.

The organisers are looking at around 160 players converging at Harare Sports Club come next week. The tournament is also likely to feature the team to represent the country at the ITF/CAT Southern Africa Junior Championships in Gaborone, Botswana from January 8 to 16.

“I think it spices the competition having some of those players playing in this tournament,” said Tafirenyika.

Zimbabwe will be sending a 12-member team for the zonal tournament in Botswana, which will feature players from other Southern African countries. Tennis Zimbabwe administrator Cliff Nhokwara said they are confident the team will do well considering that some of the players have been to the tournament before.

“Good performance at the zonal level will qualify them to go to the Africa Junior Championships (AJC) and hopefully most of them will qualify and of course beyond the AJC, they get to play for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup and then also they can play in the Junior World team.

“This, for our kids, is a platform to excel because anyone who is serious, who wants to play professional tennis has to start at this level.

“We have quite a high number of potentials to qualify for AJC. The likes of Tinashe Taruberekera, Vimbai Moyo, Rufaro Magarira and Taona Muhwandagara.

“They are already ranked high, so we expect them to do well to qualify for AJC,” said Nhokwara.

Nhokwara said they are hoping for the players to take part in the New Winners as their final preparatory work.

The event is for the Under-16 and Under-14 boys and girls.

Team:

Boys Under-16

Tinashe Taruberekera, Taona Muhwandagara, Zamani Moyo.

Boys Under-14

Michael Happy, Benedict Badza, Lyle Zaloumis.

Girls Under-16

Rufaro Magarira, Vimbai Moyo, Tsitsi Mahere.

Girls Under-14

Claire Machisa, Nicole Matukutire, Ruvarashe Shoko.