23rd December, 2015
The 15th annual Governor’s Cup Tennis Lagos, recorded a low spectator turnout, even though many more players from home and abroad took part in this year’s event.
Pundits attributed the poor spectators turnout to the decline in the fortunes of tennis in the country.
The competition was hosted at the tennis courts of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club (LLTC), Onikan, Lagos, an exclusive club for the highly placed, but avowed lovers of the sport in the country.
This year’s tournament, which was held from Dec. 5 to Dec. 19, was as usual sponsored by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Lagos State Assurance Company (LASACO) Plc., Julius Berger Plc., Deux Projects Ltd./Spinlet and PLYCON Nig. Ltd.
At least 80 players from 24 countries including hosts, Nigeria featured in the two-week tournament, held in two stages – 1st and 2nd Legs, otherwise known as the Features Three and Features Four.
Unlike in previous editions, the attendance by spectators was discouraging. This, some of the pundits blamed on the current poor economic situation of the country.
Even the attendance at the finals was so poor that many spectator seats were virtually empty, leaving the foreign players wondering why the sudden low turnout of spectators.
Many said they were aware that many Nigerians were passionate about the sport.
However, disturbing was the fact that the organisers did not designate a befitting lounge for players to relax before or after playing as many players including the foreign ones were seen milling about, with no place to rest.
Even the space provided was too small for the players and which was eventually taken over by the ball boys.
The competition had over the past, produced some top grand slam players, including Russian Nina Braatchikova, the 2010 ladies singles winner and Croatian Borna Coric, the 2013 men’s singles champion.
The top seed, Bosnia’s Aldin Setkic won during the tournament’s first leg in the men’s singles while France’s Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, seeded eight won in the women’s singles.
Dutchman Anal Van Der Duim, seeded six, emerged as the second leg winner in men’s singles, while the number three seed, Conny Perrin, from Switzerland won in the women’s singles second leg.
At least 54 National players in the men and women events featured in the two weeks tournament. But many of them crashed out before reaching the quarterfinals stages of the competition.
Mohammed Ubale, the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) junior coach, however, told NAN that there was no doubt that some of the local players, who excelled at the competition, would go places.
Ubale added that some of them who made it up to the quarterfinal stages, would still need more training and competitions to be exposed to international tournament standard.
“I am certain that over the next few years and with what our players are bringing to the table, we will get there. All I see is that we need more training and competitions as well as workshops and seminars for the umpires and coaches.
“Now that we have a tennis league, in the country, I hope it will help us to improve on their games in the next edition,’’ he said.
Anton Rens, an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Supervisor and Coordinator, competitions, said he was excited at the impressive turnout of players.
Rens added that he hoped for a bigger and better competition in next edition. “I am highly excited at the large turnout of participants for the competition.
“It only shows that the competition is gradually going global. The players displayed brilliance in their performances,’’ he said.
Some of the players who spoke with NAN said the competition had helped them to boost their careers in the game. They commended the extraordinary officiating during the tournament.
The tournament’s top seed, Aldin Setkic from Bosnia, notes that most of the points he gained during competition were through the attentive technical officials.
“I would say that the officiating has been good. One of the reasons that I came for the competition was because I heard that officiating is taken very seriously at this competition,’’ he said.
Nigeria’s Moses Michael, the winner in the second leg during the past 14th edition, said it was worthy to note that officiating in a competition of such magnitude was commendable.
Michael said that umpires played crucial roles in awarding points, which could make or mar games.
Unseeded Ghanaian George Darko, a first timer in the competition, said that his games in the men’s singles were well-officiated and without any cause to doubt the competence of the umpires.
“I played in the first leg of the competition and although I lost early in the competition, the officiating was not the problem.
“To the best of my knowledge, I have not had any cause to rate the officiating low,’’ he said.
Unseeded Anderson Reed, from the U.S., also in his verdict over officiating, gave kudos to the organisers. “I think the officiating was good. I would give them pass mark.
“I enjoyed my game even though I was beaten by a Nigerian in both legs of the competition,’’ he said.
Tournament’s ladies singles top seed Valeriya Strakhova, from Ukraine said she almost did not rate the officials highly because she had erroneously adjudged them biased. “But I later found out that I was wrong in my judgment.
“I had problems with officiating initially in the first leg. I suppose I was wrong because I thought the official was biased, but in the second leg, it was excellent,’’ she said.
Nigeria’s unseeded Loveth Donatus, said that she had watched other games and did not observe problems or complaints.
Donatus added that all her games were also fairly judged by the officials.
An unseeded Nigerian, Sarah Adegoke, a runner-up at the 14th edition said: “I trust the judgments of the officials because I have been watching all other matches and I can’t seem to fault their decisions.’’
Frenchwoman, Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, seeded seven explained that she took part in the competition because it is one of the competitions at which technical officials show fairness in officiating.
“I chose to attend this competition because I heard that it is one of the very few competitions hosted in West Africa that is strict when it comes to officiating.
“I would say that it is a good thing for a competition to have demonstrable integrity,’’ she said.
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, the Chief Host and Special Guest of Honour at the finals promised to make the competition bigger and better, with enhanced prize-money in subsequent editions.
“The next edition of the competition will be bigger and better. I will say here that the cash prize will be doubled.
“I congratulate members of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club for their efforts at playing host to the competition for 15 years and counting.
“I hope it will continue this way in order to promote sports, not just tennis in the country,’’ he said.
Sani Ndanusa, NTF President also commended the organisers of the competition, saying they ensured the overall success of the event.