20th October, 2010
Nigerian players featuring in the 10th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship have  failed to live up to expectations in the ITF-approved tournament.
The local players have been playing second fiddle in the championship since inception in 2000 and their performance this year has been the same.
Nineteen of the Nigerian players made the Main Draws of the first leg of the tournament on Monday (eight through wild cards), and by yesterday, 14 of them had been sent packing when they could not withstand the fire power of the experienced  foreign players in both the Men and Women’s Singles of the competition sponsored by the Etisalat Nigeria and FCMB Plc.
Though Sunday Emmanuel gave Boy Westerhof of Holland a tough time in their game  yesterday, he could not survive the heat as he fell 5-7, 4-6. Christy Agugbom, a former CBN Open winner in the women singles could not scale the first round hurdle as she was beaten by Israeli player, Margarita-Greta Skripnik in straight sets of 6-3, 6-2.
Bolaji Olawepo lost to Ranjeet Vilari-Muguresan of India in another straight sets of 1-6, 1-6. Ekanem Etim was defeated by Raven Klaasen of South Africa 6-0, 7-6 (3), while Monday Igbinovia was sent packing by Ivorian Terence Nugent 6-3, 6-4 in the men’s singles.
Ronke Akingbade was beaten by Anna Brachnikova 6-3, 6-1. Tournament number one female player, Zuzana Kucova defeated Blessing Anuna 6-0, 6-0.
Other local players who have crashed out of the first leg, singles events are Kingsley Enosorogbe, Destiny Da Silva, Henry Atseye, Shehu Lawal, Blessing Anuna, Oluwaseun Ogundare, Sabath Ibrahim and Ronke Akingbade.
The five Nigerian players left in the tourney have their hands full today when they play their second round matches.
—Sunday Akintoye
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