Rosehilda Asumwa beat Radha Raja 6-4, 6-4 to win the Under-18 category during the Kenya Junior Open at the Nairobi Club.
However, It was a rough ride for Asumwa as he was made to fight all the by the young upstart in a tough encounter.
Asumwa came out firing in the opener with superb volleys and returns and took a well deserved lead by winning the opening two games to lead 2-0. Raja then bounced back to win the third and fourth games and tied the match at 2-2.
The two players were evenly matched for the four games with play going to serve and were tied at 4-4. Asumwa had to use her experience in the ninth game to lead 5-4 before clinching the final game of the set to win the first set. Raja came out firing on all cylinders in the second as her serve unsettled Asumwa.
She led 2-1 but Asumwa gradually fought back, winning the next two games to led 3-2. Asumwa capitalised on the inexperience to win the next two games to lead 5-2 and came within a point of winning. Raja regained her composure and came within a point at 5-4 but Asumwa was able to close out the final point and the title.
Brandon Sagala beat Raymond Kariuki 6-2, 6-3 to win the Under-14 category.
Sagala got off to a good start by breaking Kariuki’s serve to race into a 2-0 lead. Kariuki levelled matters by winning the third and fourth games to tie the match at 2-2.
Sagala stepped up a gear in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and from here, dictated play for the rest of the game to win the set. Kariuki fought hard in the second set but was no match for the Sagala.
In the girls’ Under 12 girls category, Shakira Varese made light work of Faith Urasa, winning 6-1, 6-3 while in the boys’ category Barrack Ominde beat Zyan Jurani 6-3, 7-6.