$25000 for Grabs: ‘Mad Rush’ Hits 2019 ITF World Tennis Tour in Abuja

April 09 14:38 2019 by The Ajasa News Print This Article

By Benedict Nwachukwu, Abuja

‘Mad rush’ has hit the 2019 ITF World Tennis Tour M25 events comprising the Tombin Abuja Open, the Dayak Tennis Championship and the GSL Open which served off on Monday at the various Tennis Courts of the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium as over 21 European, Asian and African countries have registered to participate in the events that will produce champions of various categories.

In a joint media briefing addressed by the sponsors of the championships and the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), the organisers disclosed that the events will run from April 8 through 28 with each event spanning for one week paving way for finals to be played on Sunday of every edition.

The competition which marks the fifth edition of the Tombin Abuja Open, the fourth edition of the Dayak Tennis Championships and the third edition of the GSL Germany, the United Kingdom and a host of others.

The organisers disclosed that their desire is to have a tournament that will showcase some of the best rising stars in the world adding that this edition will prove a tougher and more exciting tournament than the previous two, judging by the calibre of players that have so far registered.

“It is however important to note that this is the first time that all the competitions would be run under the new ITF World Tennis Tour format introduced in March 2017 and implemented this year. The ITF World Tennis Tour is the new name for all 2019 ITF tournaments played from the Junior Circuit up to Men’s $25,000 tournaments and Women’s $10,000 tournaments. “Pro Circuit”, Features and Transition Tour will no longer be used as labels.”

The tournaments this year will last over three legs with the Tombin Abuja Open being the first leg and will run from today to the 14^th of this month, the Dayak Tennis Championship will be the second leg and will run from the 15^th to the 21^stwhile the GSL Open which is the final leg will run from the 22^nd to the 28^thof this month.

The tournaments are male only events and will feature singles and doubles matches. The final for the singles events are scheduled to hold on 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th of this month while that of the doubles will be played on the 13^th, the 20^th and the 27^th respectively. The total prize money for the competitions is $75,000, which is $25,000 each leg.

According to the Tournament Director, Ikani Agabi, “The competition has 5 ATP points up for grabs each week for the winner, three points for the finalist and one each for the semi-finalists. It will also be played under the new ITF format that has seen a change from duration of six days to seven days.”

Agabi noted that the new format is to facilitate improved player scheduling and to avoid the current overlap in tournaments where typically the qualifying competition in one tournament will begin before the final of the previous week’s tournament. “And by so doing, the tournament will run from Monday to Sunday, including qualifying, and will have 32 players in the Main Draw of five rounds and 24 in the qualifying competition (two rounds only).

He disclosed that the competition has so far received entries from Venezuela, Russia, the United States, Uzbekistan, Brazil, India, Argentina, South Africa, Croatia, Spain, Zimbabwe, Canada, Uganda, Togo, France, Moldovo, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Germany, the United Kingdom and a host of other countries.

President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation and sponsor of Dayak Tennis Championships, Dayo Akindoju disclosed to the sporting press, the federation’s plans to develop an enduring road map that will return the country’s Tennis to the deserved place on the world tennis map and added that the federation has taken the sport to the grassroots by involving primary and secondary schools.

He maintained that the present board of the federation will leave no stone unturned in its desire to make sure that the sport which has given the country an identity is resuscitated noting that to achieve that dream, the federation has hired the services of one of the best hands in the world, Luiz from Portugal to lead them to the promised land.