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Tennis: Accra Senior Open thrills fans
The 14th edition of the Accra Seniors Open Tennis Championship ended last Saturday at the Accra Lawn Tennis Club with 15 professionals and senior players taking home various cash prizes.
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There were medal bags as well as items such as rice and cartons of cooking oil for the winners. The one-week competition featured players in age categories such as (Under-18, 34-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-69 and 70+), with Benjamin Palm, Daniel Quartey and Bernard Armaah finishing in that order in the professionals event after a round robin.
Palm, Ghana’s number eight seed, stole the show last Friday after defeating his senior in the national ranking, Bernard Armaah (number four seed), by 6-2, 6-3 in the semi-finals before descending heavily on number three seed, Daniel Quartey, and beating him 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in the final game last Saturday.
For their rewards, Palm, Quartey and Armaah received GH¢500, GH¢300 and GH¢150 as cash prizes respectively together with medals and souvenirs from the sponsors.
The game, which drew a large crowd, including officials of the Ghana Tennis Federation, Mr Saka Aquaye of the National Sports Authority and representatives of sponsors, saw Evans Owuo overpower veteran player Lawrence Lartey to be crowned winner of the men’s 45-54 singles event.
In the men’s 55-64 singles category, Kobby Brew was ajudged winner while Henry Nortey, George Mills and Joe Paddymo took the first, second and third positions respectively.
The event, sponsored by Japan Motors, saw Tina Tagoe crowned winner of the ladies singles event followed by Augustina Yamak and Dorcas Sowah while the doubles contest was jointly won by Zenabu Akoto and Abigail Odoi.
Robert Botchway partnered Abigail Odoi from Burma Camp Tennis Club to overpower Ohene Effah and Tina Tagoe of the Accra Lawn Tennis club in the mixed doubles competition while Samuel Adotey / Augustina Yamak and Brian Benneh / Dorcas Sowah finished third and fourth in that category.
Other sponsors for this year’s event included SIC Life, Voltic, Volta River Authority, Akai House Clinic, Ecobank, Sikkens Ghana Limited, First Atlantic Bank and Wienco Ghana and was supported by individuals such as Dr Holdbrook Smith, Ambassador Kwasi Quartey, Nick Akpebu and Douglas Osei.