Tennis Kenya has named a squad of seven players for the upcoming Rwanda Tennis Open tourney slated for December 12-18 at IPRC-Kigali Ecology Tennis Club.
The team will have Kael Shah, Albert Njogu, Keean Shah and Derrick Ominde in the men’s category while Cynthia Wanjala, Claire Muthoni and Monica Kahura will fly Kenya’s flag in the women’s category.
Kenya will be up against hosts Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in the four-day.
The Kenyan contingent will be hoping to finish the year strongly following a sluggish performance during the recent Women’s World Tennis Tour at the Karen Club last weekend.
According to Kenya media, Tennis Kenya (TK) administrator Nancy Nduku is reported to have said that the women players will have an advantage after featuring in the recent World Tennis Tour.
“ This tournament gives them a good opportunity to gauge themselves after the recent tournament at Karen and go on a good run,” she noted
More than 150 players are expected to participate in the forthcoming Rwanda Open 2022 tourney.
Participants will compete in three different categories: professionals, amateurs single and doubles and wheelchair tennis.
A prize fee of $30,000 (Rwf 30,000,000) is set aside to award the winners in different categories.
Kenyan Ismael Changawa and Rwanda’s Meghan Ingabire are the reigning champions both in the men and women categories, respectively, having won the tournament in 2019.
Changawa beat compatriot, Kevin Cheriyot, in the final 2-0 (6-1,6-2) to win the men’s title. Ingabire won the women’s silverware after beating Olive Tuyisenge 2-0 (6-1, 6-1).
