Yokwe upbeat
Feb 27, 2004
THE NOMI tennis Open has not produced any new revelation but four players have again shown the nerve and stamina needed
By William Muwonge
THE NOMI tennis Open has not produced any new revelation but four players have again shown the nerve and stamina needed for the big stage.
Charles Yokwe, Godfrey Uzunga, Cedric Babu and Janet Namutebi have lived to their status as the event’s top seeds.
They have not only been consistent but also displayed the nerve to perform in top-flight tennis.
All the players, except Babu, were still in contention as the sh5m event reached the semi-finals last evening.
The season-opening event, sponsored by Mukwano Group of Companies under its soap and powder detergent firm NOMI, ends today.
Sixth seed Babu lost to top seed Yokwe 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals after a good run of form.
Yokwe, who had beaten two
opponents in straight sets, survived a scare in the second round on Tuesday.
His opponent Edward Odocken won the first set 6-3 but lost the plot to give away the next two sets and end the match 6-3, 6-4.
But number two Uzunga had a smooth sailing dropping seven games in four matches. He is bidding for his first major title.
The 17-year-old Namutebi, one of the rising stars of women’s tennis, reached the last four with little trouble.
The fourth seed’s last victim was Jane Nabawanuka who went down 6-1, 6-1.
Namutebi is looking for second career title after her maiden success last year.
There is also action in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The finals of the boy’s U-14 and U-12 events will also be held today.
The competition started last Saturday with an entry of 105 players.
Action begun with the qualifiers that produced eight players to the main draw of the men’s singles.
The main draw matches started on Monday with 32 players, eight of whom, led by Yokwe, were
seeded.
Matches in the other events also got underway on Monday.
THE NOMI tennis Open has not produced any new revelation but four players have again shown the nerve and stamina needed for the big stage.
Charles Yokwe, Godfrey Uzunga, Cedric Babu and Janet Namutebi have lived to their status as the event’s top seeds.
They have not only been consistent but also displayed the nerve to perform in top-flight tennis.
All the players, except Babu, were still in contention as the sh5m event reached the semi-finals last evening.
The season-opening event, sponsored by Mukwano Group of Companies under its soap and powder detergent firm NOMI, ends today.
Sixth seed Babu lost to top seed Yokwe 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals after a good run of form.
Yokwe, who had beaten two
opponents in straight sets, survived a scare in the second round on Tuesday.
His opponent Edward Odocken won the first set 6-3 but lost the plot to give away the next two sets and end the match 6-3, 6-4.
But number two Uzunga had a smooth sailing dropping seven games in four matches. He is bidding for his first major title.
The 17-year-old Namutebi, one of the rising stars of women’s tennis, reached the last four with little trouble.
The fourth seed’s last victim was Jane Nabawanuka who went down 6-1, 6-1.
Namutebi is looking for second career title after her maiden success last year.
There is also action in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The finals of the boy’s U-14 and U-12 events will also be held today.
The competition started last Saturday with an entry of 105 players.
Action begun with the qualifiers that produced eight players to the main draw of the men’s singles.
The main draw matches started on Monday with 32 players, eight of whom, led by Yokwe, were
seeded.
Matches in the other events also got underway on Monday.