It will be a Kenyan affair at the ongoing Kenya Open Tennis Championships at Karen Country Club, Nairobi.
Kenya’s top seeds Ismail Changawa and Ibrahim Yego will face off Friday’s men’s Singles semifinal encounter after they beat Ugandans in quarterfinals to set up the semis in men’s show as Changawa sibling Shufaa and Angela Okutoyi were eliminated from the competition in women’s category.
Second seeded Ismail beat Uganda’s Simon Ayella 6-2, 6-1 to move into the semi-finals set for Friday as he is joined by Kibet after he powered past another Ugandan David Oringa 6-4, 7-5.
With a 4-0 lead in the first set, punished his opponent with his powerful back hand. Ayella would win the fifth and sixth game, but Ismail comfortably closed out the set with five match points.
The second set was also a one-sided affair with the Ugandan guilty of a number of unforced errors. Ismail, who won last month’s Rwanda and Malawi Open titles, was composed and unleashed deadly serves to outgun his opponent.
Top seed Shufaa appeared to suffer from a wrist injury as she barely put up a fight in her 6-1, 6-2 loss to sixth seed Narindra Corrine Raivano of Madagascar in their women’s last eight singles match.
Okutoyi on the other hand put in a brilliant display, but the experienced Aisha Niyonkuri won the three set thriller 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted close to three hours on the clay court.
More Kenyans will be in action today in the final batch of the quarter-finals. The highlight will be top seed Duncan Mugabe’s (Uganda) clash with home player Kevin Cheruiyot, while another Kenyan Sheil Kotecha takes on Burundi’s Shakour Kabura.
Victory for the Kenyans will see the semis contested by home players only.
In the women’s matches, Kenya’s Judith Nkatha battles Hoziane Kitambala for a place in the last four as Sneha Kotecha tackles Gabonese Celestine Avomo Ella.
In the wheelchair category, Kenya’s Elizabeth Njoki sealed her place in the last eight after beating Zainabu Salimia Mtitu of Tanzania 6-3, 6-2 in their round of 16 singles match. In the men’s affair, Tanzanian Voster Isaya Lengonela saw off Kenya’s Brian Muturi 6-3, 6-0. The tournament, which is back after almost a decade, ends on Saturday
Additional Information Daily Nation