6 August 2011 SADILI JUNIORS TAKE KAREN BY STORM

Siobhan Shaw fights to take second place

The Smashers Junior Tennis Challenge Cup, a warm up event for the East Africa Safari Junior Open, began today at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi, with 74 entries in the boys and girls, U12, U14, U16 and U19 year categories. The tournament, which was run under auspices of the Tennis Africa Cup, was attended by players of Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Norway, Russia and Sri Lanka. This is a warmup tournament for the EA Safari Junior Open to take place at Sadili Oval next weekend.

In the girls U12:

Totti Ball (UK) bet Annabel Shaw (UK) 6/2 to advance to finals, where she lost to Sneha Kotecha 0/6. Sneha had an easy run, trouncing Izzy Stichbury 6/0 in the semis.

In the Boys U12:

Top seed, Binal Jayasinghe (SRI) beat Sean Grant (UK) 6/3, while Sebastien Width (NOR) eased past Harry Stichbury 6/3 to advance to th quartrfinals. On th lower half of the draw, David Mukhwana (KE) upset second seed Billy Douglas (UK) 6/3, while Ricky Omondo of Kisumu (KE) had a close win of 6/5 against Paul Mclellan (UK) to reach the quarterfinals.

In the girls U16:

Aaliyah Bashir remains the favourite to in, trouncing Maseka Kithinji 6/1, 6/2, Lorna Bhwejje 6/0, 6/4 and Melissa Brown 6/3, 6/0. Melissa Brown beat Matseka Kithinhi 6/3, 6/1, and later lost narrowly to Lorna Bhwejje 6/3, 4/6, 0/6

In the Boys U14:

Top seed David Nesbitt (USA) beat Moses Ateka (KE) 6/0, 6/4, while Byron Omondi (KE)was made to work against Max Silvester (UK) before winning 6/3, 5/6, 10/6 n a closely contested match. He later lost to seed 4, Josephat Garo 3/6, 3/6 in the quarterfinals. Ronex Otieno beat Antony Otieno (KE) 4/6, 6/1, 10/5 to reach the quarterfinals, where he suffered shock defeat in the hands of team mate Wycliff Okenye (KE)

In the semi-finals, third seed Josephat Garo beat first seed David Nesbitt 6/1, 6/1 to set up a finals tomorrow against Wycliffe Okenye, who shocked Sylvester Juma 6/1, 5/6, 10/4.

In the Boys Under 16:

Hashim Nintunga (BUR)  was on a winning spree, Shil Kotcha (KE) in the second round 5/7, 1/6 then Robert Kasombo 6/0, 6/1 in the quarterfinals, before losing to Ihaka Abdul (BUR) 2/6, 3/6. He then beat Frank Kinyanjui to take 3rd place. Ishaka Abdul (BUR) beat Amon Nzuki 7/6, 6/3 to set up a finals against compatriot Zuberi Moussa tomorrow.

In the Girls U14

Linda Jane Amondi of Kisumu (KE) lifted the crown after a resounding win against Siobhan Shaw (UK) winning 6/4 7/5 in the finals, with Jessica Hmphries taking up third place.

In Boys U19:

Martin Wambua of Mombasa lost to Jamin Luvembe (KE) 2/6, 2/6, while Yasin Lila (TZ) beat Euan Nesbitt 6/1, 6/3 to reach the semifinals, where Yasin beat Richard Ooko (KE) 7/5, 6/0, while Amadi Kagoma beat Jamin Luvembe 6/2, 6/4 to set up an exciting finals tomorrow. Luvembe, Lila and Amadi are preparing for the school games next week.

Matches tomorrow will begin at 930 and prizgiving will be 11.30 a.m.