LAGOS – No fewer than 200 viewers who were out for the CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship held Saturday at the National stadium, Lagos, were drenched by the downpour that lasted eight hours.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 37th edition of the competition, tagged “Nigeria Grand-slam’’ started on May 14 and was to have ended Saturday.
The national event was to be climaxed with the finals in the Ladies Singles and Men Singles at the stadium.
NAN reports that the rainfall which started in morning continued till late afternoon living the courts water-logged.
The much-awaited finals would have featured Thomas Otu who displaced Nigeria number one, Clifford Enosoregbe, in the Semi-final against Moses Michael in the Men Singles.
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While in the Ladies Singles, Nigeria sensation: 16-year-old Melisse Ifidzhen and Chritie Agugbom had their morale dampened by the inclement weather.
Similarly, school children who were invited to add colour to the event were seen patronising food vendors while waiting for the rain to stop.
Commenting on the rainfall, the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Sanni Ndanusa, said the finals might be postponed to a later date.
“The weather is not clement and even if it stops now, it will take some time to mop-up the court to allow for any meaningful contest,” he said.
NAN reports that 150 players registered for the event included 24 seeded players and four Wild Cards within 51 ranked players.
The winners would have received N700, 000 while the runners-up would have collected N500, 000
The competition drawn into 64 players for the Men Singles, 32 for the Men Doubles while 32 for the Female Singles and 16 for the Female Doubles. (NAN)
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