FACT CHECK: 2018 Rainoil Open To Hold On Hard Surface, Prize Money May Change Too

Nigerian Tennis Live can authoritatively report that the 2018 edition of the Rainoil Open Tennis Championship will be played on a hard surface and the prize money for the competition may be increased as well.

This is quite different from the clay surface on which the last edition of the championship was played at the Ikeja Country Club in Ikeja.

Our correspondent gathered that the tournament will now be held at the Ikoyi Club 1938 in Ikoyi, Lagos starting from Saturday, 10 November, when the qualifying rounds would be played and rounded up on Saturday, 17 November.

Atseye will have to defend his Rainoil Open Championship on a Hard Surface.

In a brief phone chat with Ms. Gift Edozie, the tournament director, Nigerian Tennis Live gathered that there was no exact reason for the change in venue.

According to her: "We're using the hard court in Ikoyi Club because that's what they have there. The plan is to use all the facilities there as well for a successful hosting of the tournament.

"If they had a clay court there, we'd have used it as well."

She also informed that the prize money may have be increased from the previous edition of the championship, even though she wouldn't state clearly how much it may have become and the manner of the increment.

"You may need to wait until we hold the press conference before getting the prize money for this year's competition," Ms. Edozie told Nigerian Tennis Live via a phone conversation.

Henry Atseye defeated Joseph Imeh in three sets, winning 6-3 5-7, 6-2 to emerge as the winner of the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Nigerian Tennis Live will keep players up to speed with the latest information as regards the tournament in the weeks leading to the competition.