Spanish, Romanian Stars Win Gov's Cup First Leg

Taiwo Adelu

The first leg of the 2012 Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship came to a thrilling end Saturday with winners celebrating their victories with trophies and dollars prize money.

In the Men’s Singles, Spain’s Enrique Lopez-Perez defeated hard fighting Egyptian Sherif Sabry in a grudge encounter that ended 7-5,1-6,6-4 to lift the men’s crown and the $15,000 prize money for the first leg.

Perez described the final match against Sabry as a difficult one as he had thought of finishing up the game in two straight sets.

“At a stage I began to lose energy, this made me to call for any sugar drink from the referee. I was given a bottle of coke. The drink brought back the needed energy for me to win the third set of the final.

“I’m happy to win this game and I believe this will give me the confidence to do well in the second leg,” said Perez.

The women’s singles final was another big fight between South African Chanel Simmonds and Romania’s Cristina Dinu. Though Simmonds put up a good fight, she could not match the pacy and the serves of the Romanian lady as she was defeated 7-5,4-6,6-4. Dinu won the $25,000 prize money and the trophy.

The duo of Conny Perrin of Switzerland and South Africa’s Chanel Simmonds beat the Russian pairs of Nina Bratchikova and Margarita Lazareva in straight sets of 6-1,6-1 to win the Women’s Doubles of the first leg.

The Men’s Doubles was won by Slovak Kamil Capkovic and Ruan Roelofse of South Africa who beat Italian Alessandro Bega and Spain’s Enrique Lopez-Perez in 6-4,6-2 game.