THE Zimbabwe Davis Cup team got their World Group II play-off to the worst possible start as the pair of Courtney Lock and Ethan Sibanda lost their singles matches against their Moroccan counterparts at Harare Sports Club on Friday.
Lock the more seasoned of the pair got the ball running when he went down 6-2, 6-4 to Morocco second-seed Taha Baadi, after which Sibanda lost also suffered a straight set 6-2, 6-3 defeat to the North African top-seed Elliot Benchetrit.
For the duration of the Day One matches, the Zimbabwean pair never looked to be in it, as the Morocco singles pair utilised their superior ranking and vast experience to good use.
All Baadi needed was that one good break after the two aces maintained serve for their opening games.
Baadi, ranked 749 in the world, would get that all-important break when beat Lock in the fourth and the Zimbabweans second service game.
Lock would win one more service game after, before his 23-year-old adversary wrapped up the match in the eighth game and push the visitors into the lead.
The Zimbabwean ace came out of the gates like a bull in the second set as broke Baad’s first service game and took a 2-1 lead to spark some hope and possibly force a third set.
However, Baadi got his lick back when he took the very next game, and sets fourth encounter – to 30 to crawl his way back.
The pair kept serve for the next five matches before the North African broke Lock for the second time in the set and claim the match in the 10th game.
That put a lot of pressure on 21-year-old Sibanda, who is unranked and came up with his team down a game and up against the Moroccos top-ranked player in Benchetrit.
The difference in class was clearly evident as the inexperienced Sibanda hardly put up a fight.
Benchetrit broke the Zimbabwean rookie a total of five times on his way to a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
The encounter between the two sides resumes this morning with Lock teaming up with 17-year-old Ronan Mtisi to play the North African duo of Benchetrit and Younes Laarousi.
Today the tie will move to the reverse singles were Lock and Benchetrit will clash while Sibanda meets Baadi.
It goes without saying that Zimbabwe have missed their top-ranked player in Benjamin Lock who misses this tie due to injury and was forced to watch from the terraces.
Action resumes on Saturday.-Herald
