Moka Tennis Open (MTO) scored an ace on its very first shot! This first edition, held at Synergy Sport & Wellness Institute in Moka, brought together 187 players of all ages in over 35 categories. We put a spotlight on this tournament that rocked Moka Smart City to the sound of rackets, over the course of two weeks and three weekends in April…
Dominique Thomas, a member of the organising committee, believes the event ran like clockwork: “At the time of the registration process, the players’ enthusiasm already surpassed our expectations,” he explains. Before adding: “There were no withdrawals during the tournament, which is quite a rare occurrence.”
Kamil Patel, President of the Mauritius Tennis Federation, believes the Moka Tennis Open was the tournament that drew the largest number of players since the beginning of the year. “The biggest tennis event of 2019, from the first edition!” exclaims Mikaël Le Luron, Head of Marketing at ENL Property. “The goal was to make the city and its sports facilities known, a goal we successfully achieved. And we are only getting started, as sports is at the heart of our core values,” he explains.
Highlights of the tournament
Moka’s ideal climate and Synergy’s pleasant environment were large contributors to the event’s success. “Players and members of the audience were equally hooked,” explains Kamil Patel, who was blown away by the “level of excellence during the finals.” In the men’s singles, Nicolas Legros won two consecutive sets (6-2/6-1) against Ludovic Louis. In the women’s singles, Céline Wan defeated Chiara Li Yaw Hay (6-3/6-4.) The winners pocketed a tidy sum of Rs 15,000, while the finalists walked away with Rs 7,500.
Besides the players in the junior, senior and veteran categories, other curious and passionate individuals were given a chance to participate in the tournament by taking part in competitions like Mini Tennis, Handisport and Social. The winners in the Handisport category were Veronique Marison and Sanjeve Annauth, followed by Jennifer Rosalie and Nazim Jeehoo.
Dominique Thomas maintains that the Tennis Social, held on April 28th, was truly one of the most memorable days of the event. Over forty children from the areas around Moka (Alma, Telfair, Sainte Catherine and Railway Square) were introduced to the little green ball on the courts and taught the core values that tennis promotes.
On to a second edition
After the first edition’s resounding success, a second edition will likely take place. Dominique Thomas and Mikal Le Luron seek to focus on optimising the tournament’s strengths and make further improvements. The Mauritius Tennis Federation, which collaborated in organising the event, is hopeful for the matches to be broadcast on television, “so the tournament can continue to thrive,” shares the President.
