Strydom wins

NAMIBIA’S Jurgens Strydom got off to a winning start in the first round of the ITF F1 Futures Tennis Tournament in Windhoek yesterday.

Playing against the eighth-seeded Candy Idoko of Nigeria, Strydom comfortably won the first set 6-3. Strydom lost his concentration in the second set and Idoko, who is ranked 952nd in the world, stepped up a gear to race into a 4-1 and then 5-2 lead.Strydom however made a great fightback to win the second set 7-5 to win the match and progress to the second round.It was a fine comeback by Strydom against Idoko, who is ranked 952nd in the world.Strydom will now meet a qualifier, Henrik Soderberg of Sweden, in the second round.Soderberg yesterday beat another qualifier, Jean Zietsman of Germany, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 in their first round encounter.There were a number of upsets in other first-round matches yesterday.The unseeded Nicolas Grammare of France beat the fourth-seeded Paul Warkentin of the United States 6-4, 6-3.Matthias Dorfler of Germany, who had to qualify for the main draw, beat the fifth-seeded Mark Idan of Israel 6-3, 6-3.Benjamin Janse van Rensburg of South Africa beat the seventh seed, Bertram Steinberger of Austria, 6-4, 6-3.The second seed, Edward Seator of Great Britain, who is ranked 608th in the world, was pushed to three sets before beating a qualifier, Milos Sekulic of Sweden, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.The sixth-seeded Claudio Grassi of Italy beat a qualifier, Kevin McDuffee, 6-0, 6-1, while Lofo Ramiaramanan of Madagascar beat Nikos Serkedakis of Greece 6-2, 6-2.www.namibiasport.com.naStrydom lost his concentration in the second set and Idoko, who is ranked 952nd in the world, stepped up a gear to race into a 4-1 and then 5-2 lead.Strydom however made a great fightback to win the second set 7-5 to win the match and progress to the second round.It was a fine comeback by Strydom against Idoko, who is ranked 952nd in the world.Strydom will now meet a qualifier, Henrik Soderberg of Sweden, in the second round.Soderberg yesterday beat another qualifier, Jean Zietsman of Germany, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 in their first round encounter.There were a number of upsets in other first-round matches yesterday.The unseeded Nicolas Grammare of France beat the fourth-seeded Paul Warkentin of the United States 6-4, 6-3.Matthias Dorfler of Germany, who had to qualify for the main draw, beat the fifth-seeded Mark Idan of Israel 6-3, 6-3.Benjamin Janse van Rensburg of South Africa beat the seventh seed, Bertram Steinberger of Austria, 6-4, 6-3.The second seed, Edward Seator of Great Britain, who is ranked 608th in the world, was pushed to three sets before beating a qualifier, Milos Sekulic of Sweden, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.The sixth-seeded Claudio Grassi of Italy beat a qualifier, Kevin McDuffee, 6-0, 6-1, while Lofo Ramiaramanan of Madagascar beat Nikos Serkedakis of Greece 6-2, 6-2.www.namibiasport.com.na