Setodji, Na-Adjrago clash in McDan Open semis today
Women's top seed and defending champion, Sarah Adegoke, strolled into the semi-finals of the ongoing McDan Open Championship after a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of the Ivorian challenger, Kouadio Amandine, yesterday at the Accra Stadium.
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Adegoke booked a date in today's semi-finals with former Ghana number one Emma Cudjoe who defeated Annette Cruickshank 7-5, 6-2 in her quarter-final clash.
Adegoke's Nigerian compatriot, Lizzy Airhunmwunde, produced two dominant sets to ease past Beninois Follykuaye Esperance 6-1, 6-2.
Airhunmwunde's reward will be an all-Nigerian encounter against Angela MacLeod today. MacLeod earlier beat Ghana's Cindy Aidoo 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
Men's top seed Thomas Setodji will face, perhaps, his sternest test so far today when he meets 2015 All Africa Games gold medalist, Wisdom Na-Adjrago, in the pick of the men's semi-final ties at the Accra Stadium.
Setodji set up the tie with Na-Adrago after dispatching Ivorian Joel Meda 6-2, 6-2 in the last quarter-final clash yesterday.
Na-Adjrago, the highest-ranked Ghanaian in the draw, faced a much tougher resistance before snatching his semi-final ticket as his opponent Bernard Armah Ashittey took him to three sets before he prevailed 6-4,3-6,6-3. It was the second time he was stretched to three sets after his opening round victory over Beninois Theophile Sedogo.
The winner of the Setodji-Na-Adjrago clash will face the winner of a similarly exciting semi-final tie involving 2014 McDan Open champion, Jeff Bagerbaseh, and Beninois Felix Hounkpevi.
Bagerbaseh continued his march towards the $3,000 cash prize after defeating fellow Ghanaian Bernard Dugbah 6-4,6-0 while Hounkpevi stunned Togolese dark horse Joel Kandangah 6-3, 6-3.
The 2017 McDan Open Championship is sponsored by Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), UMB Bank and Rush Energy Drink.