Top seed Ismael Changawa has pulled out of the Futures tournaments planned for next month in Nigeria and Egypt.
Changawa sustained a shoulder injury during this month's Euro -Africa Davis Cup Group 3 tournament at the Nairobi Club and has since sought medical attention.
Despite missing out on Nigeria and Egypt, the 23-year-old is looking forward to making an appearance in a Futures event in Mozambique in November as well as Kenya Open in December.
“Although I would have loved to go for the Futures, my shoulder still hurts. I strained it as I played the Davis cup tournament but it has already been attended to. I will use this time to recuperate and be back in the game for the Futures event in Mozambique in November," said Changawa.
The three-time Kenya Open champion assured there was no cause for alarm as his shoulder does not need surgery. “My shoulder does not need surgery which is a good thing. I just need rest and after a couple of weeks, I will be back in training to prepare for the upcoming tournaments," he added.
Changawa would have pocketed Sh125,000 if he won the Lagos Future as well as an opportunity to challenge himself against the top players on the continent. However, he spoke with certainty about endless opportunities.
“The Futures would have been without a doubt good exposure and pay. I still have a chance because there are endless tournaments and futures scheduled. As I said, I will be in action next month and therefore I will use this period for recovery,” he noted. He added: "I'm confident I will be back to my best form after this break and I will be challenging for titles."
