The International Tennis Federation (ITF),on Monday approved the Futures 3 and Futures 4 Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship which will hold from December 5th -19th at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan Lagos.
The ITF also said it is expecting players from all parts of the world to turn up for the $80,000 prize-money event which ranks among the biggest in Africa. This year’s edition will be the 15th of the tournament.
photo credit; governorscuplagostennis.com
The Ebola scourge in Nigeria last year forced the ITF not to sanction the tournament and instead an abridged version was held which was restricted to players from Africa. Due to the absence of players from across the globe, the 2014 edition was also a non-point-earning event.
But ITF, in a letter to the Nigeria Tennis Federation, said it has returned to its earlier status as a point-earning tournament which would be an attraction to players from all parts of the world.
Nigeria’s Michael Moses won the men’s singles while Zarah Razafinmahatratra of Madagascar claimed the women’s top prize.
India’s Sania Mirza, the top-ranked WTA doubles player and Croatia’s Ivan Dodic, the world no 1 ITF junior ranked player, among others, are some of the players that have used the Governor’s Cup as a springboard for their successful careers in recent years.
Tournament Coordinator, Prince Wale Oladunjoye said the tournament will continue to grow bigger.
photo credit; governorscuplagostennis.com
“This is good news, it goes to show that the ITF has got confidence in the Nigeria Tennis Federation as well as the organizers because we have been kept on the edge as we expected that they would have approved the tournament some few months ago because we normally hold it in October,” he said.
The NTF on its part said it will continue to work with the Main Organizing Committee to deliver a highly successful championship.
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