Nicholson Nartey put up a spirited performance to defeat Stanley Nyarko to emerge winner of the Fine Water Open tennis championship played at the Ghana Tennis Club (GTC) at Adabraka.
Nartey recorded a 2-1 set victory over a tough Nyarko (Adabraka No1) in a thrilling final that kept patrons lauding the performance of the players and organisation of the championship.
It was a Men’s Singles social tennis tournament sponsored by Fine Natural Mineral Water with the top of 32 players of the category in attendance.
On his way to the final, Nartey accounted for David Naawu 9-1 in a round of 32 game and beat Henry B. Quarshie 9-3 in a round of 16 clash.
That fetched him a quarter final ticket against David Carreras, who lost 6-3 in the first set and retired in the second set trailing 5-1, giving Nartey a semifinal opportunity against Nana Poku.
Poku started on an electrifying note, whipping the champion 6-1 in the opening set but surrendered the second set to a 3-6 defeat and set a cracker of a third set which the champion won 7-6(5).
Runner-up, Nyarko, also started impressively, dominating Kweku Logic to a 9-0 feat; beat William Amoo 9-5 at the round of 16 stage; beat Richard O. Mensah 6-1, 6-2 in the quarter finals before spanking Elvis Tetteh 6-3, 6-0 in the semifinals.
The finals was a thrilling contest between the finest with the champion, establishing his superiority by dictating the tempo and winning the initial set 6-2.
But fans witnessed perhaps the greatest comebacks in the championship as Nyarko rallied back to thump the champion 6-1 to set the stage for a thrilling final set to determine the winner.
After the initial exchanges, Nartey stamped his authority again to run away with a 6-3 victory to smile home with the trophy and cash prize of GH¢2,000.
BY ANDREW NORTEY