Kenyan top sibling tennis players Ismael and Shufaa Changawa exhibited their dominance in men and women singles at the Kenya Open Tennis Championship at the Nairobi Club.
Three time champion Ismail led three other Kenyans into the last eight stage of the annual tourney. The top seed did not drop any game in his 6-0, 6-0 win over compatriot Samuel Urasa to book a quarter-final date with eighth seed, Burundi’s Cuma Issa.
Second seed Ibrahim Kibet will come up against number 10 seed Frank Menard of Tanzania for a place in the last four.
The last two Kenyans into the last eight, Petty Andanda and Albert Njogu will face Burundi’s Shakul Kabura and Boris Aguma of Uganda respectively.
Shufaa was in imperious form as she saw off fellow Kenyan Cynthia Cheruto 6-1, 6-0 in Wednesday’s last eight encounter to cruise into Friday’s semi-finals.
The top seed, who has so far had a comfortable tournament, will face her first stern test of the competition against Madagascar’s Narindra Ranaivo in the semis.
The fourth- seeded islander was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Kenyan-based Sudanese Achu Madhieu in their quarter-final encounter.
The 24-year-old Shufaa warned her opponents that the best is yet to come from her, as she bids to bounce back from last year’s semi-final loss.
The other women’s semi-final will be an all-Kenyan affair pitting close friends Alicia Owegi and second- seed Angela Okutoyi. Both players are into their first semi-finals and a place in the final will be the reward for a stunning season.
Okutoyi, fresh from winning the under-14 African title, will be the favourite having dispatched fifth-seed Mialy Ranaivo of Madagascar 6-2, 6-2 in their last eight clash, as Owegi crashed compatriot Esther Wahome 6-0, 6-0.