Changawa seeded second for Kenya Open tennis
Ismael Changawa returns a shot from Eric Kipkoech in the under-16 semi final match of the Kenya open Junior tennis tournament at Nairobi club. PHOTO/MARTIN MUKANGU
What you need to know:
- Three-time winner Duncan Mugabe from Uganda is the tournament’s top seed and will meet Kenya’s Eric Kipkoech in the first round Monday.
- Jean Claude Gasigwa from Rwanda is third seeded and Kazembe will meet qualifiers in the first round while Oringa is up against Tanzanian Yasin Shabani.
Kenya’s top junior Ismael Changawa has been seeded second in main draw of the Kenya Open tennis tournament that serves off today at the Nairobi Club.
The 17-year-old who is based at the ITF High Performance Centre in Morocco, will meet unseeded Hakim Ntwali from Rwanda in the first round.
“I am ready to take on any opponent. I have once beaten Ntwali so things should be fine,” said Changawa who leads Kenya’s quest for first title in six years.
Allan Copper is the last Kenyan who won the tournament in 2008.
“I will be a great honour for me at my tender age but the field looks tougher than ever before,” said Changawa, who is currently ranked 70 by ITF Junior in the World.
Changawa, fresh from finishing third in boys’ singles and second in mixed doubles at the Africa Youth Games, said his stay at the ITF High Performance Centre in South Africa before moving to Morocco has helped improve his game.
TOP SEED
The other Kenyan, Fazal Khan, is seeded eighth and will meet a qualifier.
Three-time winner Duncan Mugabe from Uganda is the tournament’s top seed and will meet Kenya’s Eric Kipkoech in the first round Monday.
Eight players are set to join the main draw from the pre-qualifying rounds that were taking place at the Nairobi Club and the Public Service Club.
The 22-year-old Mugabe, who won his first Kenya Open in 2010, retained it in 2011 before relinquishing it to Kazembe in 2012, reckoned that this year’s Kenya Open could be tough. “There is much more quality with more players from Zambia, Zimbabwe and DR Congo coming in,” said Mugabe.
Jean Claude Gasigwa from Rwanda is third seeded and Kazembe will meet qualifiers in the first round while Oringa is up against Tanzanian Yasin Shabani.
Mugabe outclassed Gasigwa 5-7 6-2 6-1 in last year’s final. “I am here not only to reach the final but win the Open,” declared Gasigwa.
Olivier Havugimana and Matthieu from Rwanda are sixth and seventh seeded and will meet qualifiers in the first round.
The girls’ singles draw was due to be done after the final round of the pre-qualifying matches Sunday.
