Black’s Olympic hopes dashed

wo Fadzais (Masiyazi and Mawisire) do not have a world ranking to partner doubles ace Black at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, next year.
This means that the 28-year-old player, currently ranked well outside the top 200 in the world singles rankings, is likely to get a wildcard from the International Tennis Federation to play singles for Zimbabwe.
Black’s doubles partner, South Africa’s Liezel Huber, had been trying to persuade her to apply for South African citizenship so that they could represent that country in the Olympics.
“We form a good doubles team and we were hoping that our domination would extend to the Olympics. We were hoping that we would bring a medal for Africa. We talked about it with Liezel (Huber),” Black admitted earlier this year.
“I had meeting with ZOC following my return from a skiing holiday (in Canada) and we agreed that one of the Fadzais (Masiyazi or Mawisire) could partner me in the Olympics next year. It was a good meeting,” Black said then.
But it seems her plans have gone up in smoke following news that Mawisire and Masiyazi do not have a world ranking.
Huber has in the meantime become an American citizen and will no longer play as a South African. Married to American Tony Huber, she became a United States resident in March 2004, and was sworn in as an American citizen at a ceremony in Houston last week.