The Tombim Abuja Open has taken shape, with the remaining players in the draw pulling their socks up in a bid to secure semifinal spots.
Here are matches to look forward to on Day 5.
Benjamin Lock [6] vs Arjun Kadhe [3]
Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe and Arjun Kadhe of India will go head-to-head for the first time on the ITF World Tour for a spot in the semifinals of the Tombim Abuja Open on Friday.
Lock has been impressive so far in Abuja, dropping only two games in as many matches to reach the quarterfinals. Although, he played an incomplete match with Sylvester Emmanuel after the Nigeria retired midway through their second round match due to injury. Arjun Kadhe, who’s seeded 3rd, will be Lock’s toughest test yet.
Kadhe’s progress through the draw has been smooth and serene, not dropping a set nor losing a service game en route to his second quarterfinal appearance this season. The 393rd-ranked Indian had made a run to the semifinals of the M25 event in Mildura, Australia, a month ago.
Lock is into his first quarterfinal this season. Can he keep it going, or will Kadhe bring his run to an end?
Simon Yitbarek vs Sadio Doumbia [2]
Rising Swede star, Simon Yitbarek, will take on second seed, Sadio Doumbia of France in Friday’s quarterfinal.
Having made back-to-back quarterfinal appearances on the ITF World Tour in Russia and Portugal just before coming into Abuja, Doumbia will be looking to reach his first semi-final this season. While the 5-time ITF World Tour winner had it easy in the first round here in Abuja against Abdoulaziz Bationo, he had to rally from a set down against Maxime Mora in the second round to make progress.
Yitbarek, meanwhile, is having the best run of his 2019 season. The 18-year-old made the quarterfinals of an ITF World Tour event once in his fledgling career- in Yaounde, Cameroon, November last year. He’s now matched that run in Abuja, beating Dutchman, Niels Lootsma and Brazil’s Gilbert Soares Junior in the process. Can he now work his way past Doumbia and reach the first semis of his career?
Peter Kobelt vs Jaimee Floyd Angele
28-year-old American, Peter Kobelt will take on French teenager, Jaimme Angele for one of the semi-final tickets.
Kobelt has had quite a season so far, reaching the final of the M15 event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in January, and in March, he was a quarterfinalist at the M15 tournament in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Now in Abuja, the American hasn’t dropped a set so far, but that will come under threat against France’s Angele, who’s the tallest man in the draw and arguably the biggest server.
Angele has powdered down 28 aces in his last two matches and is sure to bring in his potent service game against Kobelt.
Since reaching the semifinals of this event last year, Angele has managed only one other semis appearance (Egypt in October, 2018). Can he equal that run on Friday? Or will Kobelt neutralize the Frenchman’s big serves and find a way through?
There will be another American-French affair on Friday, as William Bashamuka go head-to-head with France’s Dan Added.
Friday’s Full Order of Play
Centre Court
Starting at 10:00
Benjamin Lock (ZIM) [6] vs. Arjun Kadhe (IND) [3]
Followed By
William Bushamuka (USA) vs. Dan Added (FRA)
Not Before 13:30
Danylo Kalenichenko (UKR) / Niels Lootsma (NED) vs. Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) [3]
Not Before 15:00
Dan Added (FRA) / Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) [4] vs. Benjamin Lock (ZIM) / Courtney John Lock (ZIM) [2]
Court 1
Starting at 10:00
Simon Yitbarek (SWE) vs. Sadio Doumbia (FRA) [2]
Followed By
Peter Kobelt (USA) vs. Jaimee Floyd Angele (FRA)
