Duncan Mugabe's destiny lies in the works of his hands as he chases glory on the international tennis circuit. And the 20-year-old youngster is hoping his hard work will continue to pay off when he takes to the court in the first leg of the three-legged East Africa International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures Circuit in Bujumbura, Burundi today.

"I am the official king of East Africa," proclaimed Mugabe on his website www.duncanmugabe.com after winning the Simba invitational tournament in Dar es Salaam on Saturday evening."Victory was a result of hard work in the gym and court with Kenyan ace Allan Cooper with whom I practiced for two weeks before travelling to Dar es Salaam," Mugabe said. "My body hurts a little and the blisters on my hands are just healing. But I'm not planning to rest," added Uganda's lone ranger. Ranked 735 in the world, Mugabe has been seeded fifth for the Bujumbura tourney.