Sports News of Friday, 18 August 2017

Source: Gabriel Amoako

Accra Open Tennis: Fumi beats Bagerbaseh to reach semi-finals

Fumi will play Daniel Quartey in the last four on Friday. Fumi will play Daniel Quartey in the last four on Friday.

Benjamin Fumi saw off former Champion Jeff Bagerbaseh to reach the Accra Open Tennis Tournament semi-finals at the Accra Sports Tennis court.

The GTF /TPG number two came through 7-6, 6-1 in a match that lasted two hours and 32 minutes.

Fumi will play Daniel Quartey in the last four on Friday.

Defeat means that Bagerbaseh has failed to get past Fumi in semi-finals for the second time in a tournament (Alkamin Open semi-finals).

"I was down throughout the game,played a poor tie-break in the first set, played some good tennis, but it wasn't enough." Bagerbaseh said.

Bagerbaseh created opportunities in Fumi's first five service games as he came back from 4-1 down, with one thrilling stroke rally bringing the crowd to life, but Fumi forced a tie-break and raced through it.

A double-fault saw Bagerbaseh slip 2-0 behind and a stinging return at his toes made it 3-0 as Fumi won the tie-break 7-3.

In the second set, fatigue set in on Bagerbaseh as Fumi kept his hopes for his first Accra Open Tennis Tournament title alive, until he had to hold serve to stay in the match.

Fumi earned two match points and Bagerbaseh could only drag a backhand into the net, ending his title defense open campaign at the quarterfinals stage. "Bagerbaseh a tough player and he played well from the beginning, had to wait and fight and make him a bit uncomfortable and he started to get tired, that is when I put my game to be aggressive" Fumi said.

In other semifinals, number one seed Wisdom Na-Adjrago will face Emmanuel Plange.

In the Boys 14 and under semifinals matches:

Lameck Bagerbaseh Vs Ishmael Dowuona

Michael Dosoo Vs Richard Okine