Nigeria’s leading female professional tennis player, Oyinlomo Quadre, and Kalada Kienka headline the wildcard entries for the inaugural Destiny Da-Silva National Open Tennis Championship in Lagos.
Quadre, who recently helped Nigeria secure promotion to the Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Group II, is among the major attractions in the main draw of the competition.
The former University of Oklahoma student-athlete has rarely featured in national tournaments in Nigeria outside the National Sports Festival, making her participation a significant boost for the inaugural championship.
Kienka, meanwhile, is the son of renowned Nigerian tennis player, coach and administrator, Godwin Kienka.
Tournament director and sponsor, Destiny Ford Da-Silva, a former Davis Cup player, explained that the men’s singles wildcard slots were distributed among four tennis clubs with which he is associated.
According to him, players from the Ikoyi Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Lagos Country Club and Mainland Tennis Club competed in trials to earn the available places.
“We gave a wildcard slot to every club that I belong to, and I was told that the players were made to play trials to get the slot,” Da-Silva told Nigeria Tennis Live.
“It was a serious battle for the slots to get into the men’s singles main draw via the wildcard route, and I believe everyone who made it is deserving of it.”
The inaugural championship is expected to provide another competitive platform for Nigerian players to showcase their talents and strengthen the country’s domestic tennis circuit.