NAN-S-4
Tennis
By Franklin Ohaegbu
Lagos, Oct. 11, 2017 (NAN) The last set of Nigerian players participating at the ongoing 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championships crashed out of the competition on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the players could not make to it to the main draw of the singles events in the male and female categories.
Unseeded player, Christian Paul, was the last Nigerian in the singles event.
He was defeated by another unseeded player from India, Aryan Givaeas, in two sets, 6-0, 6-0.
Paul, who is ranked1, 958 in the world, told NAN that he lost to a more experienced player.
“I played a very strong opponent who watched my previous game and took the advantage of my weakness.
“The first set was very tasking and short.
“I tried to put the balls at the corners of the court, but I noticed that he could reach all the balls.
“I changed my playing pattern by playing deep court, but it was not also working for me, I was just losing points, so I lost concentration and started panicking.
“The second set was worse. I could not cope with my opponent.
“So I told myself to let it go and play better in the next leg,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, in other matches played, unseeded Majej Sabanov from Croatia created an upset as he ousted Tunisia’s number five seeded, Moez Echargui, in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 2-6.
The match lasted for two hours.
NAN reports that players from 39 countries are jostling for International Tennis Federation ranking, and the tournament’s prize money of $ 50,000; in the men’s and women’s events.
Enrique Lopez-Perez from Spain is the top seed in the men’s category while Conny Perrin from Slovakia is the number one seed in the women’s event.
The finals of the first leg will hold on Oct. 14 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Court, Onikan. (NAN)
FOE/DEB/DUA
Edited by Debo Osudun/Dada Ahmed