Nigeria’s leading female professional tennis player, Oyinlomo Quadre, and Kalada Kienka are among the players handed wildcards for the inaugural Destiny Da-Silva National Open Tennis Championship in Lagos.

Quadre helped Nigeria earn promotion to the Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Group II a few months ago.

Her presence in the main draw is a major attraction, as the former University of Oklahoma student-athlete has not played a national tournament in Nigeria outside the National Sports Festival.

Kienka is the son of renowned Nigerian tennis player, coach and administrator, Godwin Kienka.

Tournament director and sponsor, Destiny Ford Da-Silva, a former Davis Cup player, told Nigeria Tennis Live how the wildcards were chosen. He said the men’s slots were shared among four clubs he belongs to, with players made to compete in trials to earn them.

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“We gave a wild card slot to every club that I belong to; the Ikoyi Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Lagos Country Club and the Mainland Tennis Club, and I was told that the players were made to play trials to get the slot,” he said.

“It was a serious battle for the slots to get into the Men’s Singles main draw via the wild card route, and I believe everyone who made it is deserving of it.”

For the women’s event, the slots went to former top players who showed interest.

“That’s why we have the likes of Ronke Akingbade, Oyinlomo Quadre, Ohunene Yakubu (a top junior player) and the likes in the main draw,” he said.

The men’s wildcards are Kienka, Bode Lawal, Muiz Owolabi and Ayomide Oduwaye. The women’s are Quadre, Akingbade, Sofia Agbabiaka and Yakubu.

Qualifying began on Friday, November 13, and the main draw runs from Monday, November 16 to Saturday, November 21 at the tennis section of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.