Nigeria’s hopes of making it to the podium in the Doubles event at the ongoing Dayak Tennis Open were on Friday, 12 May, dashed after Sylvester Emmanuel and his half-Nigerian partner, Calvin Hemery lost to superior European players.
The match against Alessandro Bega and Durasovic Viktor ended in a 6-4, 6-0 win in favour of the Europeans and was concluded in less than one hour, Naija Tennis Special gathered.
Sylvester was a Doubles hopeful after the manner in which he and Hemery dismissed the number one seed in the team event, but his aspirations were cut short as they could not keep up with the pace of their opponents.
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| Sylvester Emmanuel’s serves were not enough to earn them the doubles title. Photo: Ewaoche Ameh. |
In spite of the loss, the Nigerian player will still be at the podium on Saturday, 13 May, to receive his medal and trophy as the runner-up in the event which ends a week of top notch tennis action at the Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja.
Hemery on the other hand, will be playing in the finals of the Men’s Singles after defeating number eight seed, Fernando Romboli from Brazil 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Although he picked up in the game, it was a really tough encounter for the French guy who is believed to love his father’s native Nigerian a lot.
He will square up against Krstin Pedja from Serbia, who himself had to upset number two seed and winner of the first leg of the championship, Brayden Schnur in three sets of (5)6-7, 6-3, 6-2, and probably give Nigerians something to cheer.