Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

Dar Es Salaam — Tanzanian Sebastian Mtupili lost by two straight sets to become the first casualty, as visiting tennis athletes sat on top of the on-going Simba Cement International Open Tennis tournament, which enters its third day on Friday at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club.

The second casualty was Mtupili's young brother Kiango Kipingu, who went down 3-1 sets against Kenya's Gilbert Kibet to make an unceremonious quarter-final exit. Unlike the Wednesday kickoff which was marred with violence by a section of striking local athletes, the second day ended peacefully and without any indication of the previous day's madness.

Coincidentally, both were among the ring leaders of the kickoff commotion where Tanzanian players almost walked out of the money spinning event, in protest of what they termed as "a malicious campaign" by the national association to undermine them.

Of course, not a reward, but the ageing legendary prize fighter was simply no match for the visiting Ugandan prize fighter Duncan Mugabe, who led all the way to win the first set 6-4 before mounting pressure in the second set to win on 6-1 score line.

And a few minutes later, Kipingu followed suit on a 6-1, 3-6 and 6-4 loss to the Kenyan Davis Cup team member, who booked a semi- final tie against Tanzania's top seed Abdalla Omary. In other quarter-final encounters played on Thursday, 2009 finalist and Arusha based Jonas Jacob eliminated visiting Kenyan Dennis Ocheing' by sets 3-1 of 6-1, 6-7 and 6-1 to book a semis place against Mugabe.

Local top seed Omary Abdalla plays Kibet after cruising past compatriot Hassan Kassim 6-1 and 7-5. In the ladies category, young star Sarah Bura, teenager Mkunde Iddi and experienced prize fighter Inger Njau, won their preliminary encounters by two straight sets each to advance to the quarters.

Sarah beat new comer Ramla Omary 6-0 and 6-0, while Mkunde's super strikes saw off American Beth Mahaney 6-1 and 6-0 as Inger went full throttle against Rest Makoy to win 6-2 and 6-0. The ladies quarter-finals were played late yesterday evening.

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