BY ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE, LAGOS
World tennis governing body, the INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION (ITF) has given players across the world Thursday, 19 September, 2019 as registration deadline for the first leg of this year’s LAGOS OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP.
The ITF directed that players should register for the first leg of the tournament latest by 14:00GMT Thursday, 19 September while withdrawal deadline is Tuesday, 24 September, 2019 by 14:00GMT.
The first leg serves off with a day qualifying matches on Monday, 7 October, while the Main Draws in both the singles and doubles of men and women events start the following day with the final of the leg holding on Sunday, 13 October, 2019.
This leg has as its prize money $50,000 to be shared $25,000 each in both the men and women’s categories.
For the second leg, the ITF also directed that players should register latest by Thursday, 26 September with the withdrawal deadline fixed for Tuesday, 1 October, 2019. The qualifying matches for the second leg hold on Monday 14 October with the main draws starting the following day.
The finals of the second leg, which traditionally is the grand finale with its usual closing ceremony, holds on Sunday, 20 October, 2019.
The Governor of Lagos State, MR. BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU and other dignitaries are expected to watch the finals of the singles events.
This leg also has as its prize money $50,000 to be shared $25,000 each in both the men and women’s categories.
It would be recalled that in last year’s tournament, British youngstar, JACK DRAPER, caused a major upset in the finals of the second leg watched by the former Governor of Lagos, AKINWUNMI AMBODE and other important personalities, as well as hundreds of school children who were mobilised to watch live tennis action from the older players.
DRAPER became the youngest winner of an ITF FUTURES TOURNAMENT in Nigeria following a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over highly experienced top seed, TOM JOMBY of FRANCE.
The 16-year-old BRIT went on to play in the 2019 WIMBLEDON OPEN and made surprising improvement of his tennis career
The Lagos Open, which enters its 19th edition, holds from 7-20 October.
The event has been an annual tennis championship staged to celebrate the sitting Executive Governor of Lagos State and also a destination for emerging young tennis players across the world to fight for ATP points, The tournament is played within the course of two weeks (Futures 4 &5) at the Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.
