The acceptance list for next month’s Tombim Abuja Open has been released and four of the ATP top-400 players in the world have been listed in the main draw.

Last year’s quarterfinalist, Maximilian Neuchrist, is the highest-ranked player listed in the main draw, while 2018 Lagos Open champion, Tom Jomby of France is among the notable names listed.

Neuchrist who, after bowing out in the quarterfinals of the Tombim Open last year, went on to win the Dayak Tennis Championships the following week, is ranked 338th.

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Maximilian Neuchrist (foreground) in action during last year’s event. Photo: Ewaoche Ameh

The 27-year-old Austrian hasn’t played competitively since a first round exit in a Challenger event in Taipei in September last year, but will be seeking to brush off his rust and go steps better, when the event begins in less than two weeks.

Tom Jomby, meanwhile, ranked 393rd on the ATP standings returns to Abuja, where he’ll aim to better his previous performance. The Frenchman failed to move past the opening round of the Tombim Open in April last year, falling to Ivan Sabanov in three sets. However, upon his return to Nigeria, this time, for the Lagos Open in October last year, the then 27-year-old made back-to-back finals, winning that of the first leg before coming up short in the second leg against Britain’s Jack Draper.

Jomby, since then, has strutted his stuff in the Challenger Tour, with his last tournament being at the Cleveland Challenger, USA, in January, where he went out in the first round. Back to the ITF Tour for next month’s event, Jomby, now 28, will aim for a memorable outing, vital ranking points, and the greater share of the $25,000 prize-money.

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Tom Jomby in action at the ITF World Tour event in Abuja last year. Photo: Ewaoche Ameh

France’s Sadio Doumbia, with an ATP ranking of 388, and India’s Arjun Kadhe, who is ranked 395 and reached the final of the GSL Open in Abuja last year, make up the players in the top-400.

Doumbia, 28, will be competing in Abuja for the first time. The Frenchman, who has won 6 ITF titles and a Challenger title in Pune, India in 2016, finished as a runner-up at the Lagos Open in 2015.

Also, Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Lock, and Ukraine’s Danylo Kalenichenko, a semifinalist last year, are among those listed in the main draw.

For the qualifying, Nigeria’s No.1, Sylvester Emmanuel, Joseph Imeh and Christian Paul are the home players listed, alongside Alexis Klegou of Benin, Zimbabwe’s John Lock. Burundi’s Orly Iradukuna, Namibia’s Tuki Jacobs and Darryl Hale of Great Britain are amongst many others, who will go through the qualifying rounds.

The Tombim Abuja Open is live from the National Tennis Centre, Abuja from 8-14 April.