Tennis chiefs issue statement as player wins just three points in 6-0, 6-0 loss | Tennis | Sport

Tennis chiefs have issued a statement after ITF W35 Nairobi wildcard Hajar Abdelkader won only three points in a 6-0, 6-0 loss that lasted a mere 37 minutes. The unranked Egyptian’s first-round match against Lorena Schaedel saw her commit 20 double faults. Two of Abdelkader’s three points came from German opponent Schaedel’s own double faults in Nairobi on Wednesday.

Abdelkader only managed a first serve percentage of 8.3 per cent. Footage of the match went viral on social media with some questioning whether the 21-year-old had any previous experience of playing tennis. The matter has led to Tennis Kenya, who host the event, admitting Abdelkader should not have been allowed to play against world No. 1,026 Schaedel. Their statement read: “Tennis Kenya is aware of concerns regarding the participation of Egyptian player Hajar Abdelkader in the ITF W35 Nairobi tournament following the circulation of a video on social media that raised questions about her level of play.

“Ms Abdelkader was granted a wildcard for Week Two of the event after submitting a formal request and she flew in on Tuesday morning. The slot became available following a short notice withdrawal by the originally awarded Main Draw wildcard recipient, who opted into the Qualifying draw.

“At the time, Ms Abdelkader was the only other player who had requested a wildcard, and the decision was taken on the information provided and in the interest of maintaining a full and balanced draw while supporting the development of tennis in Africa.

“In hindsight, Tennis Kenya acknowledges that this wildcard should not have been granted. The federation has taken note of this experience and will ensure that such an extremely rare occurrence never happen again.

“Tennis Kenya remains committed to fairness, transparency and the integrity of competition, as well as to the continued development of tennis in Kenya, East Africa, and across Africa.” They added: “In awarding wildcards, Tennis Kenya considers factors such as player development priorities, competitive balance of the draw and information provided by applicants with emphasis on Kenyan, East African and African players.

“In this instance, Ms Abdelkader indicated that she had an appropriate level of competitive playing experience, and the wildcard was issued based on the information provided.

“This is a young person and given the extent and nature of coverage of this match, Tennis Kenya and the ITF recognise the need to keep the wellbeing of both players as a primary consideration. Both organisations have reached out to the two players to offer support.”

The Egyptian Tennis Federation told the BBC that Abdelkader has no records and has never been registered as an Egyptian player. They added that she did not enter the tournament on Egypt’s behalf.

The ETF’s technical director Dia Nabil Loutfy said: “We would like to clarify that she is not registered with the Egyptian Tennis Federation, nor is she included in any of our official player lists.

“Based on the information available to us, the player was previously residing in Kenya and participated in the ITF tournament in Nairobi through a wildcard granted by the Kenyan Tennis Federation.

“The Egyptian Tennis Federation had no role whatsoever, whether directly or indirectly, in the nomination, approval, or issuance of this wildcard, and we were not involved in the player’s entry into the tournament in any capacity.”