Tayebwa/Athieno make history in tennis at the FISU Games

Uganda’s mixed doubles pair of Frank Tayebwa and Patience Athieno exited the tennis competition after a 2-1 loss to the Brazilian duo of Giovana de Jesus Martins and Rodrigo De Meo Das Dores at the TUF Tennisanlage in Essen on Saturday.

 Despite the defeat, they made history by becoming the first Ugandan mixed doubles pair to win a set at the biennial games, having secured the second set against their Brazilian opponents. The match started with the Brazilians racing to an early 4-0 lead.

The Ugandan pair managed to pull back two games, but ultimately lost the first set 6-2, making several unforced errors that their opponents capitalised on.

Athieno struggled with her serve at crucial moments, which contributed to their difficulties. In the second set, however, the Ugandans regrouped. Tayebwa delivered powerful serves and effective returns that the Brazilians found difficult to handle.

Brazil's Giovana DE JESUS MARTINS serves against Uganda's Tayebwa/Athieno during a mixed doubles first round match at the ETUF Tennisanlage in Essen. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

As a result, the Ugandans surged to a 4-1 lead. Despite the Brazilians winning two more games, they began to panic under pressure, allowing Tayebwa and Athieno to secure the second set 6-3. Unfortunately, the Ugandans could not carry that momentum into the ten-point match tiebreaker, which they lost 10-2. 

Tayebwa reflected on their performance, stating, “Our preparations were a bit lacking. There was no proper facilitation, and we did not have a training camp, so everyone was on their own. We met occasionally in Kampala, but this level of competition requires match practice, which we lacked.” 

He acknowledged that the skill gap was not as wide as they had feared, noting, “We can compete with some of these players because they also make mistakes. With solid preparations, we can improve in the future. We have fought well in every match we have played here.” Tayebwa also emphasised the valuable experience gained from the competition, saying, “This level of play is a challenge that motivates us to go back and strategise on how to come back stronger. We now know what to improve on next time. 

Winning a set for the first time is encouraging, and perhaps next time we can win a match.” He added, “The Brazilians focused more on crucial points than we did. We lost important moments in the game and failed to capitalise on the momentum from the second set. The tiebreak points can swing either way, and unfortunately, they went in favour of the Brazilians.” Tayebwa stated.