Morocco men and Kenya women win African Qualification

Morocco men’s and Kenya women’s teams emerged triumphant at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup African Qualification in Nairobi, Kenya, on 18 February.

It will be the fifth time the Moroccan male team participates in the wheelchair tennis event’s Finals and the third for the Kenyan female team, in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, between 28 May and 3 June.

Morocco dropped just three games in the opening singles rubber and three games in the doubles rubber of the men’s final to beat Egypt 3-0.

Said Himan’s’s 6-3, 6-0 win over Tarek Abbas Gharib Zahry was followed by a dominant performance from world No. 47 Lhaj Boukartacha, who defeated Mohamed Abdelhafez 6-0, 6-0. Morocco also won the doubles 6-3, 6-0 to seal victory in the Africa Qualification for the second time in three years.

Host nation Kenya finished third in the men’s event after a 3-0 win over last year’s winner Tanzania, while Ghana defeated Rwanda 3-0 to claim fifth place.

Kenya women earn doubles victory over Tanzania

Top seed Kenya earned victory in the women’s event for the second successive year courtesy of a 2-1 win over Tanzania.

World no. 108 Jane Ndenga gave the host nation the lead with her 6-3, 6-2 win over Lucy Shirima. But Rehema Selemani ensured that the qualification spot would be decided in the doubles after beating world No. 91 Phoebe Masika 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Masika and Ndenga then proved too experienced in the doubles as they sealed a 6-2, 6-2 win to earn Kenya the overall victory and the qualification spot for Apeldoorn.

The Asian Qualification will take place later this week in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with the European Qualification set to be contested in Vilamoura, Portugal in April.

Full story is available on the ITF’s website.