New Leaders at Regional Junior Tennis Challenge at Karen Club

Amon Muinde

Amon Muinde (Kenya) lifted the boys Under 18 category of this year’s Smashers Challenge Cup, sweeping past all opposition with determination. He dispatched with Sylvester Juma (Kenya) 6/3 6/3 before meeting Frank Tayebwa (Uganda) in the longest and most exciting semi-final match of the tournament, to win 7/5 2/6 10-7. In the final, he patiently countered invading drives by top seed John Lutaaya (Uganda), outlasting him to lift the crown 5/7 6/2 10/6

Frank Tayebwa (Uganda) lifted the Boys Under 16s, over-powering Wycliffe Okenye (Kenya) 6/1 6/1 in the finals.

Kenya Open under 12s winner and product of the Kibera Tennis and Sport Court, Charles Ochieng, worked determinedly through qualification round robin matches to beat Winnie Birungi (Uganda) 6/2 5/7 10/2 and Elizabeth Aluoch 7/6 (4) 6/4 to win the mixed Under 14 category.

Air Omar (Kenya) slipped past Mwendwa Mutuku (Kenya) 6/4,6/7(5),13/11 the Boys Under 12s, while Sauda Akimana (Burundi) dominated the Girls 12s, beating Aziza Manirakiza (Burundi) 6/1 6/0.

A total of 24 players participated in the annual Smashers Challenge at Karen Country Club on the 9h and 10^th August 2014, The Challenge series forms part of a Level B Tennis Africa Cup ranking tournaments, for players between intermediate to advanced level.

Mwendwa Mutuku 

Frank Tayebwa

Charles Ochieng

Joshua Korman

Kasombo Tops For Kenya In Regional Tennis Open

Spectators were treated to an exciting time at the EA Junior Open when the Boys U-18 saw Robert Kasombo (Kenya) beat John Lutaaya (Uganda) 6-4 6-4, to lift the title.  Kasombo had earlier overcome Josephat Garo (Kenya) 7-6(4) 7-6(1)  in a close semi-finals,while John Lutaaya (Uganda), upset top seed Amon Muinde 3-6 6-4 [10-7]  in another close encounter. The finals was a serious clash of wills, with Kasombo eventually prevailing 6-4 6-4. The pair of brothers (dubbed the "Nzuki Brothers") Kasombo/Muinde, showed a sign of great wins to come for Kenya, when they beat Garo/Lutaaya 6-2 7-5 in what spectators agreed was the most exciting doubles finals in recent past.

The Boys U-16 was an all-Ugandan affair, with Frank Tayebwa beating Boris Aguma 7-5 6-4 to lift the title from a field of 16 of the best boys from the region. Ian Okungu (Kenya) won the Boys-U12 ahead of compatriot Solomon Maloba (Kenya), while Antony Owita (Kenya) took the books U-14 with 40 points with Davis Matanda (Kenya) as runner-up with 30 points.

In the girls U-14, Saidat Kemugisha (Uganda) took on Winnie Birungi (Uganda) in the semi-finals, winning 6-3 6-4 before dominating over Elizabeth Aluoch (Kenya) 6-2 6-2 to win the title with ease. Saidat/Birungi took home the G-U14 Doubles for Uganda.

Other results included the following:

Girls U-8 Singles: Winner: Angela Luanga, Rup: Princess Diana

Boys U10 Singles: Winner: Juma Evans, Rup: Alex Mweti

Girls U10 Singles: Winner: Mary Asiko, Rup: Sharon Anyango

The EA Safari Junior Tennis Camp and the Junior Open is the main platform for juniors from within the region to showcase their talent, in order to receive technical support as well as compete for limited scholarships available every four years at the Sadili Africa Talent Training Academy. Recipients of the 6 scholarships available will be announced at the beginning of September 2013.

The EA Junior Open is a level B ranking tournament recognized by the Tennis Africa Cup (www.tennisafrica.info).

Sadili Tennis Academy: Karen Club Alight With 4th Smashers Challenge Cup

Sadili Tennis Academy: Karen Club Alight With 4th Smashers Challenge Cup: Saidat Kemigisha Karen Country Club tennis courts lit up with year's 4th Smashers Challenge Cup,  on the 10th August. The tournamen...

Kenyan in Finals of Smashers Challenge

Amon Muinde

Kenyan Junior, Amon Muinde, today, for the first time in three years, made the finals of the Smashers Challenge Cup in the Under 16s category, showing hope that the country can equal others in talent. Amon who beat top African junior, Henry Ayesiga (Uganda) 4/6,6/1[5-10] in the group stages, struggled through the first set, to lose 6/0, before rallying to fight back, losing in a close 5/7 in the second and final set.  Henry, in his element today, had earlier won a tough match against top Kenyan junior, Olivier Kigotho 6/2 6/4 in the quarterfinals, then stopped upcoming talent Sada Nahimana 6/1 6/0 in the semi-finals.

Henry Ayesiga

In the boys 14s finals, Anthony Owiti slipped past Davis Matanda (Kenya), 7/6(3) 6/3 in a close encounter that lasted a little over 2 hours.

The Smashers Challenge Tournament is part of a series of challenges for junior players of intermediate to advanced level, and is recognized by the Tennis Africa Cup.

RESULTS

GSU-12

Alice Ayoma v/s Belinda Awino 7/6(5),6/3

Alice Ayoma v/s Elizabeth Sheila 6/1,6/2

Belinda Awino v/s Elizabeth Sheila 6/0,6/0

Winner: Alice Ayoma

Runner-up: Belinda Awino

2^nd R-up:Elizabeth Sheila

BSU-14

 Pool A

Davis Matanda v/s Charles Ochieng 6/0,6/1

Davis Matanda v/s Peter Kyama 6/0,6/0

Charles Ochieng v/s Peter Kyama 6/4,6/3

1^ST Davis Matanda

2^nd Charles Ochieng

Pool B

Antony Owita v/s Nigel Odhiambo 7/6(2),6/3

Antony Owita v/s Ian Okungu 6/0,6/0

Nigel Odhiambo v/s Ian Okungu 6/0,6/0

1^st Antony Owita                                                                     

2^nd Nigel Odhiambo

Smashers Challenge No.2 (LEVEL B)
BS 14
Tennis Tournament Planner - www.tournamentsoftware.com
	Semifinals	Final	Winner
1	Matanda Davis
		Matanda Davis
2	Odhiambo Nigel	6-1 6-3
			Owiti Antony 7-6(3) 6-3
3	Ochieng Charles
		Owiti Antony
4	Owiti Antony	6-4 6-2

BSU-16

Pool A

Henry Ayesiga v/s Amon Muinde 4/6,6/1[5-10]

Henry Ayesiga v/s  Josphat Garo 0/1 Ret. Won

Henry Ayesiga v/s   Sylvester Juma 4/6,6/4[10-7]

Amon Muinde v/s Josphat Garo 6/2,6/2

Amon Muinde v/s Sylvester Juma 6/0,6/2

Josphat Garo v/s Sylvester Juma 7/5,5/7[10-5]

1^st Amon Muinde

2^nd Henry Ayesiga

Pool B

John Lutaaya v/s Robert Kasombo 6/4,0/6[10-5]

John Lutaaya v/s Sada Nahimana 6/7(5),1/6

John Lutaaya v/s David Mukhwana 6/2,6/2

Robert Kasombo v/s Sada Nahimana 1/6,6/2[10-4]

Robert Kasombo v/s David Mukhwana 6/1,6/1

Sada Nahimana v/s David Mukwana 6/2,6/3

1^st Sada Nahimana

2^nd Robert Kasombo

Pool C

Shebani Kabura v/s Olivier Kigotho 1/0 Ret. Lost

Shebani Kabura v/s Ronex Otieno Not Played Lost

Shebani Kabura v/s Wycliffe Okenye 6/4,6/3

Olivier Kigotho v/s Ronex Otieno 6/7(4)6/3[10-7]

Olivier Kigotho v/s Wycliffe Okenye 6/3,6/3

Ronex Otieno v/s Wycliffe Okenye 4/6,1/6

1^st Olivier Kigotho

2^nd Wycliffe Okenye

Smashers Challenge No.2 (LEVEL B)
BS 16
Tennis Tournament Planner - www.tournamentsoftware.com
	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final	Winner
1	Muinde Amon
		Muinde Amon
2	Otieno Ronex	6-1 6-0
			Muinde Amon
3	Kasombo Robert		7-5 6-4
		Kasombo Robert
4	Okenye Wycliff	6-3 6-0
				Ayesiga Henry
5	Kigotho Olivier			6-0 7-5
		Ayesiga Henry
6	Ayesiga Henry	6-2 6-4
			Ayesiga Henry
7	Juma Sylvester		6-1 6-0
		Nahimana Saada
8	Nahimana Saada	6-0 6-4