The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has issued deadlines for the registration of players who are going to participate in this year’s Lagos Open Tennis Championship.

Formerly known as the Lagos Governor’s Cup Tennis Championship, the Lagos Open now comes as a rebranded international tennis event, with the promise of great improvement, professionally and internationally.

The event, despite receiving a change in outlook, still remains an ITF Pro Circuit Tournament, and will hold from 29 September to 13 October, 2018 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, where the Futures event has always being held, save once, since its inception in 2000. The LLTC has also improved and now boasts brand new restrooms, changing facilities amongst others in preparation for the event.

The ITF in a directive on its website, says players, who intend on participating in the Futures 4, the 1st Leg of the competition —the men’s and women’s singles as well as the doubles event— have until 14:00GMT on Thursday, 13 September to register, while Tuesday, 18 September serves as the deadline date for withdrawal.

Qualifying matches for the 1st Leg will hold on Saturday, 30 September, while the main draws will serve off on Monday, 1 October through to Saturday, 6 October.

The Futures 4 will have a prize money of $50,000; the men will share $25,000, while the other half will go to the women’s. Players have until Thursday, 28 September by 18:00 GMT to sign-in.

Additionally, the Futures 5, the 2nd Leg of the tournament, has its deadline for registration set on Thursday, 20 September, while withdrawal can be done on or before Tuesday, 25 September.

The qualifying draw for the 2nd Leg will hold from 6-7 October, while the main draws will kick off on 8 October through to 13 October. The 2nd Leg, like the 1st, will have $50,000 as its prize money to be shared among the singles and doubles winners.

The event will have 32 players from all over the world compete in the main draws of the singles event. Serbia’s Pedja Krstin won both legs of the tournament last year and will likely feature in this year’s event.

The Lagos Open, a two weeks’ event, will have the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as the Special Guest of Honour at the grande finale.