Ismael Changawa in action./HANDOUT
Kenya boosted their hopes of a strong finish at the Davis Cup Africa Group IV tournament after defeating Botswana 2-1 on Thursday to set up a crucial final group-stage clash against Ghana.
After opening the competition with a 2-1 defeat to Algeria, the hosts responded impressively to move level with Botswana on one win and one loss in Group A.
Kenya made a strong start through Ismael Changawa, who produced one of his best performances of the week to beat Botswana's Mark Tawa 6-3, 6-1 in the opening singles.
Changawa looked more confident from the outset, controlling rallies from the baseline and converting key break-point opportunities to hand Kenya an early lead.
The Kenyan attributed his improved display to hard work on the training court following his previous outing.
"For me it's a really good day because I played much better than yesterday. I trained hard in the morning and came back stronger. Mark is a good player. We've faced each other twice and I've won both times," said Changawa.
Tawa took the defeat in stride, insisting he remained confident in Botswana's chances.
"I lost but I'm not worried because we have a really good team, so I'm just going to support my teammate. Changawa was the better player and he played better," he said.
And although he felt he had improved from his previous match, he now needs to strengthen the mental side of his game and pay closer attention to the finer details.
Botswana hit back in the second singles through Ntungamili Raguin, who edged Kenya's Kael Shah in a closely contested three-set encounter.
Raguin took the opening set 7-5 before Shah responded strongly, raising his intensity to claim the second 6-2 and force a decider.
With the match finely balanced, the Botswana player held his nerve in the third set, breaking at crucial moments to seal a 6-3 victory and level the tie at 1-1.
That left the doubles encounter to decide the outcome.
Kenya entrusted Shah and Zayyan Virani with the decisive match against Botswana's Batsomi Marobela and Raguin, and the pair rose to the occasion in impressive fashion.
The Kenyan duo combined effectively, displaying strong communication, solid serving and aggressive net play to secure a 6-4, 6-3 victory and hand the hosts the tie.
The result saw Kenya finish the day with renewed momentum in the race for promotion.
Algeria lead Group A with two wins from two ties, while Kenya and Botswana are tied on one win and one defeat each, with identical 3-3 match records.
Ghana remain without a victory after two rounds.
Attention now turns to Friday's meeting with Ghana, a match that could prove decisive in determining Kenya's final standing in the group.
Victory would significantly strengthen the hosts' hopes of finishing among the leading teams and maintaining their push for promotion within the Davis Cup structure.
