Real ladies

By Oscar Pilipili

Kenyan top seed Caroline Oduor led five home players into the quarter-finals of Real Insurance Kenya Open Tennis Championships at the Nairobi Club.

Oduor, the 2009 champion, beat Eunice Wambui 6-4, 6-0 in a pre-quarter-final encounter to advance in the ladies singles category, which is likely to be dominated by Kenyans.

Wambua went through qualification round but proved that she deserved a place in the main draw with a spirited show against Oduor, especially in the first set where she snatched four games in the event sponsored by Real Insurance Company Limited to the tune of Sh1.5 million.

"This year’s Kenya Open is very competitive and any player can win it," said Oduor Thursday.

Second seed Evelyn Otula survived a scare from Gloria Rotich to win 6-2, 6-4 and qualify for the quarters scheduled for today.

The 2006 Kenya Junior Open champion Juliet Cherono maintained her winning ways, upsetting Ugandan fifth seed Rosette Musoke with straight sets of 6-2, 6-2 in a second round match to reach the quarters.

Cherono said: "The victory came as a surprise for me because I viewed Musoke as pre-match favourite. My confidence has now improved and I hope to play better in next matches and reach the final." Cherono meets Otula in the quarterfinals.

Women in contention

Seventh seed Meera Kantaria eliminated Celestine Ndinda 6-3, 6-2 to sail through to the quarters where she plays South African third seed Ohmae Fernandez, the 6-1, 6-1 winner against Price Laura in pre-quarters.

Fourth seed Rehema Athumani of Tanzania, one of the two foreigners still in contention in the ladies’ singles, beat Anne Wambui 6-2, 6-3 to land in the quarter-finals.

In the men’s category, Ugandan defending champion and top seed Duncan Mugabe reached the quarterfinal following a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Brian Mallya of Tanzania in a round two match.

Fifth seed Issa Cuma of Burundi beat Ibrahim Kibet 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in a three-setter thriller to set a quarter-final date with the tournament’s favourite Mugabe.

In the other pre-quarters played, second seed Claude Gasigwa of Rwanda beat Hassan Kassim 6-3, 6-0, Fazal Khan beat Hakim Ntwali of Rwanda 6-1, 3-1, fourth seed Edgar Kazembe of Zambia beat Juma Changwa 6-1, 6-1 as Amadi Kagoma beat Waziri Rajab of Tanzania 6-1, 6-1 to advance.