Accra tennis players currently participating in the first Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) open tennis competition in Kimasi on Thursday easily beat their Kumasi counterparts in the preliminary matches of the men's singles.

Playing a straight set each at the preliminary stages as demanded by the regulations of the competition, Emmanuel Holm of Royal Ravico Tennis Club in Accra beat Dan Adjetey of KNUST 9-1, while Robert Botwe of Accra Golden Tulip Tennis Club defeated Onunwor Moonlight of KNUST 9-1 with Patrick Nortey also of Accra Golden Tulip accounting for Asamoah Agyin of Ashanti Tennis Club 9-2.

In the other matches, Joe Doe of 37 Officers Mess Tennis Club Accra beat Festus Mfodzo of Korle-Bu tennis club 9-1 and Stephen Lamptey of American Apartment tennis club Accra also defeating John Tetteh of KNUST 9-0.

With these results, the winners have made it to the next stage of the competition, which ends on Sunday. The even is being sponsored by the Barclays Bank.

Earlier, in an exhibition match to commence the competition which would be held annually with the giant Vice chancellor (VC) Cup at stake, Professor Kwesi Andam, VC of KNUST who is the donor of the cup, impressed the crowd with some well-taken shots to beat Sidique Abubakar of Ashanti Tennis Club 7-5.

The competition, initiated by Professor Andam, has 32 participants from Accra and Kumasi who would be competing for honours in the men's singles, women's singles and men's doubles.

The winner of the men's singles, which is the main event, takes VCs cup at stake and other prizes while winners in the other events take cash prizes ranging from ?800,000 to ?200,000.

In an address to open the competition, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, Pro Vice-chancellor of KNUST, announced that the university would soon introduce degree programme in sports to boost the university's potential to positively influence sports in the country.

He said that although only tennis and badminton had been introduced into the university's curricula this semester, the university authorities were considering adding athletics and swimming next semester.

Professor R.T. Awuah, chairman of the competition's planning committee, called on the participants and supporters to maintain high sense of discipline to ensure the success of the competition.