Taiwo Adelu
It can now be established that tennis players who always come to Lagos for the annual Governor’s Cup Tennis Championship are not here for the dollar prize money, but leave their countries to jostle for the world rankings points available in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved competition.
The organisers of the tournament in conjunction with the Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF, placed the sum of $80,000 as prize money for both men ($30,000) and women ($50,000) categories with the winner taking a share of $1,950 for men’s singles in each Futures 3 and 4, while the women’s singles winner get $3,000 in each of the two Futures. The doubles categories in both men and women events also have their own share of the prize money.
This sharing formula means a little to these foreign players, but they see Lagos tournament as a veritable platform and pro circuit tournament for them to earn more points to improve on their world rankings.
This has been the case as the tournament entered its 15th edition this year.
The winner of Futures 4 , which ITF refers to as Lagos 2 on 19 December, 2015 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Antal van der Duim from The Netherlands (Men’s Singles) and Conny Perrin from Switzerland (Women’s Singles) have been counting their gains of coming to Lagos for the Governor’s Cup.
The winners in both men and women’s singles are now conveniently sitting within Top 40 of the ATP Race and WTA Race Rankings.
Investigations revealed that Van der Duim, who was on number 444 before coming to Lagos has seen his ranking raised to as high as number 37 in the ATP race ranking as at 24 December, 2015. This was made possible after playing to the level of quarter final of Futures 3 (Lagos 1) and winning the Lagos 2.
The Governor’s Cup was the 25th Futures which the Dutch boys would play in 2015.
According to the world ranking, the 28-year-old Van Der, who began playing tennis at age four earned 49 points and moved 161 steps up in the world ranking as at 24 December.
The same goes for his runner up, Zimbabwe’s Takanyi Garanganga, who was before Governor’s Cup on number 436, but now on number 89. He earned 30 points and moved 145 steps up. The US-based 25-year-old Zimbabwean went as far as semi final in the first leg of the Governor’s Cup.
In the women’s category, Conny Perrin won the women’s singles. The 25-year-old Swiss is on end of the year ranking on number 18 after earning 86 points, moving 37 steps upward. She played to the level of semi final in the first leg of the Governor’s Cup.
Runner-up, Tadeja Majeric from Slovenia, who was also runner up in the first leg is on number 32 in the WTA Race Ranking as at 24 December after earning 60 points and moving 43 steps upward.
Meanwhile, winners of the first leg (Futures 3) of the Governor’s Cup also had improved rankings in the world.
Aldin Setkic from Bosnia who came to Lagos on number 231 is now on number 14 in the ATP Race Ranking. The 28-year-old Setkic won the first leg, but lost out in the semi final of the second leg.
The runner-up, Sadio Doumbia from France came to Lagos on number 441. The 28-year-old player is ending the year on number 117. He earned 24 points and moved up 12 steps. He crashed out in the quarter final of the second leg while in Lagos.
In the women’s singles, 17-year-old French Tessah Adrianjafitrimo won the first leg. She is ending the year on number 31 after earning 60 points and moving up 6 steps. She crashed out in the second leg in the quarter final stage of the Governor’s Cup.
source=PmNewsNigeria
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