Gaborone — Botswana tennis player, Ekua Youri will compete in the WTA $125K Angola Ladies Open from November 2 to 8.

The tournament will feature 32 singles players, who will compete on the outdoor hard courts at the Kikuxi Tennis Academy in Luanda, Angola.

According to the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) president, Oaitse Thipe, Youri would be the first local tennis player given the wildcard to compete at that level.

This, Thipe said demonstrated the good working relationship between the BTA and other international tennis federations.

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Therefore, he said the association welcomed the development as the player would compete in the high-profile tournament.

Performing well in Angola, he said would provide Youri with an opportunity accumulate WTA ranking points, adding that augmented by next year's All-Africa Games, that would keep her on the qualification path for the Olympics.

Thipe said they were confident that the player would do well given that she was currently on top form.

In addition, he said at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Youri was earlier this year, voted the most outstanding player in Southern California.

Besides dominating collegiate tennis, he said Youri also did well at the Futures Tournament in Durban, and she was equally instrumental in the Billie Jean King Cup where the country was promoted to Europe/Africa Group II.

BOPA