Hosts Kenya out of Wheelchair tennis tourney

Uniqlo Wheelchair tennis Tour men and women’s finals will be an all foreign affair after Kenyans were bundled out from the event that ends on Wednesday at the Nairobi Club.

Kenya’s third seeded Jane Ndenga lost to top seeded Emmanuelle Morch from France in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2. Morch will now meet second seeded South Africa’s Mariska Ventre in the women’s final.

Venter rolled over fourth seeded Kafayat Omosire from Nigeria in straight sets of 6-2, 6-0 to set up Morch.

Kenya’s Collins Omondi failed to go past the semi-finals of the men’s competition when he fell to top seeded Evans Maripa from South Africa in sets of 6-1, 6-1.

Omondi has caused a major upset when he bundled out third seeded Peter Munuve also from Kenya 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2 in the first round.

Omondi then matched on to the semi finals after silencing Nigerian Samuel Kayode Alabi 6-4, 6-2, before meeting the waterloo against Maripa.

Maripa will now face second seeded Nigerian Alex Adewale, who eased past Wasiu Yusuf of Nigeria 6-1, 6-3 in the semis.

Munuve and compatriot Rajab Abdallah Athman were due to meet Maripa and Tanzania’s Emmanuel Temba in men’s doubles semi-finals Tuesday evening with Kenya’s pair of Shabaan Warioba and Henry Otieno up against Yufus/Adewale from Nigeria.

Morch/Venter stopped Fayat/ Grace Chituru from Nigeria 6-2, 6-1 to storm women’s doubles final. Venter/ Morch take on the winner between Ndenga/Bridget Nartey(Ghana) and the Kenyan pair of Elizabeth Njoki/Asiya Mohammed in the final.

The competition will pave way for the 2019 BNP Paribas World Team Cup Africa qualifier starting Thursday at the same venue with seven nations participating.

They are South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Egypt, Tanzania as well as the hosts Kenya.

The winning men and one women’s team will get to represent Africa at the World Team Cup due for Israel later this year.

Kenya women’s team has qualified for last three events of the annual championships. while the men’s team is yet to.