Duncan Mugabe in shock 2015 All Africa Games exit
Duncan Mugabe was the portrait of helplessness. Head in hands. Eyes to the ground. Body broken.
By Charles Mutebi
All Africa Games
Results
Singles: Mournir def Mugabe (4-6, 6-4, 6-4)
Double: Botswana def Uganda (7-5, 2-6, 10-8)
Cycling: Road race
Sam Sabagwanyi finishes 37
Sebastian Kigongo did not finish
Duncan Mugabe was the portrait of helplessness. Head in hands. Eyes to the ground. Body broken.
The immediate wreckage of the biggest shock in the 2015 All Africa Games men's tennis singles was a sad sight. For Uganda, it was the miscarriage of what seemed a very realistic medal.
Mugabe, the number two seed and silver medalist from the last edition of the Games, showed up in Brazzaville from six weeks of high-class tennis in Egypt, according to reports. Losing to the number 15 seed in the round of 16 was not part of the plan.
"I can't believe this man," Mugabe mourned, struggling to cope with this dagger to the heart from Ahmed Mournir.
"I should have beat him. I can't believe it's over."
Before the day was done, Mugabe would be ejected from the men's doubles alongside David Oringa to end Uganda's tennis interests at the Brazzaville Games for good.
"Truth is, Mugabe is really tired," explained Uganda tennis coach John Kasule. "He has been playing nonstop for eight weeks."
Mugabe revealed, "I couldn't move as quickly as I wanted to, I couldn't return the balls quick enough".
There were other reasons proffered by Mugabe and his coach for the 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 defeat but all of them underlined the belief that the Ugandan should have won this match. If he had, he would be in the quarters, one win away from a medal.
In truth, Mournir played with more composure and looked better in the long rallies. He broke Mugabe to go up 5-4 in the third set. Calmly, he protected serve to move on to the next round. He will be tough to eject.
Meanwhile, debutant Sam Sabagwanyi finished 37th out of 120 entrants in the 150km road race that gripped Brazzaville Sunday. Less than 50 cyclists finished the accident plagued contest, including Sabagwanyi's team-mate Sebastian Kigongo.
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