NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tennis Kenya acknowledged it erred in granting an Egyptian player entry to a professional tournament after video of her dismal performance that included 20 double faults circulated on social media.
The 21-year-old player, Hajar Abdelkader, was given a wildcard entry and lost 6-0, 6-0 in 37 minutes in a first-round match that raised questions about her level of play. She struggled with serving and court positioning.
Tennis Kenya, the governing body for the sport in the east African country, is hosting the International Tennis Federation’s W35 tournament this week.
“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 happens again,” it said in a statement Thursday.
The organization’s statement said it was “aware of concerns” raised about Abdelkader’s participation.
