Armaah wins Top 8 Hitters tourney

Ghana’s No. 7 seed, Bernard Ashitey Armaah, was crowned winner of the first edition of the “Douglas Djarbeng Top 8 Hitters” tournament after defeating Daniel Quartey by two sets to one in the final at the Accra Lawn Tennis Club (ALTC) last Friday. 

Armaah won 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 against the No. 6 seed to lift the coveted trophy and the GH¢1000 cash prize, while Quartey took home a trophy and GH¢600 as runner-up.

The event, which drew a large crowd including the leadership of the Ghana Tennis Federation, members of the club as well as families and fans of the two finalists, witnessed the skillful Armaah descend heavily on his opponent during the third set to send him packing.  

In a post-match interview, Armaah told the Daily Graphic that he lost twice to Quartey last year and was almost distracted by the injury his opponent suffered during their game, but he mustered courage and fought hard to break the jinx.

“Quartey is ahead of me in the national ranking. This is the 3rd time we are meeting and he has won twice and I’ve beaten him today. Last December, my resolution was to win all my matches this year, so I am happy that I have won my first internal event. I believe that I will do well in my subsequent games,” he said.

The third place award of GH¢350 went to Benjamin Palm who defeated Isaac Dapaah by 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Dapaah took home GH¢250 as his reward while the other players received GH¢150 for their efforts.

The tournament was sponsored by Douglas Djarbeng, a former chairman of the club and a retired football administrator, with support from some members of the ALTC.