Nigeria’s Emmanuel, Hemery thrash doubles’ top seed in Dayak Championship
N@shagcy
igeria’s Sylvester Emmanuel teamed up with Frenchman Calvin Hemery to upset Brazilians Fernando Romboli and Fabiano De Paula in the doubles of the Dayak Championship Nigeria F2 Futures in Abuja.
The South Americans were champions in the Tombim Open Nigeria F1 Futures but were shocked by the unseeded duo who prevailed 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) to give the home fans something to cheer after the last set of Nigerians bowed out some hours earlier. The win guaranteed them a place in the semifinal. The Rainoil-sponsored Emmanuel had his serves puzzling the opponent while Hemery, of Nigerian descent, did the damages by consistently hitting the winners.
In the singles, all the seeded players in second round action progressed to the next round as the tournament reaches its crucial stage.
Top seed, Calvin Hemery of France earned a place in the quarterfinals by beating Christian Paul of Nigeria 6-2, 6-1 to set up a clash with Indian fifth seed, Sasi Kumar Mukund, who on his part, dumped Mateusz Smolicki of Poland 6-1, 6-1.
Paul had dumped out countryman Thomas Otu on the same court in a marathon match a day earlier and he troubled the world no 294 in the early exchanges leveling up at 2-2 to cancel the early break by his opponent but faded out as the match hots up.
Canadian Brayden Schnur proved a task too much for Nigeria’s too player, Sylvester Emmanuel with a 6-3, 6-4 win. The world no 306 second seed - on a run of seven straight wins in the Nigerian capital after winning the Tombim Open Nigeria F1 Futures last weekend. He next confronts Takanyi Garaganga, the seventh seed Zimbabwean, a 6-2, 6-4 conqueror of Spaniards Ivan Curbelo in a potentially explosive clash.
Also through to the last-eight are eight seed Fernando Romboli of Brazil, who came from a set down to dump Indian Kunan Anand 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; and third seed Alessandro Bega. The Italian needed to be on top of his game to defeat Frenchman Thomas Setodji 7-6) 4), 7-5 thus scheduling a last-eight encounter with Romboli
The quarterfinals train is filled by Serbian fourth seed, Pedjan Krstin and Norwegian Viktor Durasovic who will battle each other. Krstin triumphed 6-2, 6-2 over Hugo Largo of Spain while Durasovic survived a tough encounter against Tunisian Moez Echargui needing a rubber to advance 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.