The PUMA Engineering Wheelchair Open has hit home stretch, with top seeds & defending champions Alex Adewale and Kafayat Omisore looking to make it to their second consecutive final in the men’s and women’s singles respectively.

Omisore opens play on Court 1 against Lucy Shirima of Tanzania. Both women received byes in the first round and did just enough to move through the quarter-finals and into the semis.

DSC 0512 e1572558585833

Kafayat Omisore

While Omisore was made to dig deep by Asiya Sururu before winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, Shirima had no troubles beating Bridget Nartey 6-3, 6-1.

DSC 0318

Lucy Shirima

In the other women’s semifinal, Kemi Oluwasegun and Chituru Nwaozuzu will go head-to-head in an all-Nigerian clash for a place in the final.

In the men’s field, Alex Adewale will look to reach yet another final, when he takes on Novatus Temba of Tanzania in the second match on Court 1. Adewale claimed the inaugural title last year and is right on course for another. The Nigerian has played impressively so far and will fancy his chances against the Tanzanian.

DSC 0131 1

Alex Adewale

Wasiu Yusuf, who fell short in the semifinals last year, will look to go a step better this time. The Nigerian confronts Collins Lumumba of Kenya.

The men’s and women’s doubles final will also be played on Friday, with defending champions, Alex Adewale and Wasiu Yusuf facing the Kenyan duo of Collins Lumumba and Peter Munuve. Adewale and Yusuf, both of whom progressed to the final after a three-set victory over Kazeem Akanbi and Williams Ukari, are seeking to secure their second straight men’s doubles crown.

In the women’s doubles final, the Nigerian pair of Tosin Dawodu and Chituru Nwaozuzu square off against Kenya’s Asiya Sururu and Jane Ndenga.

Matches begin by 10:00am on Friday at the National Tennis Centre, Abuja.