Serena inspires budding stars at Sadili

By Oscar Pilipili

Serena Williams conducts a tennis clinic at Sadili Oval Sports Centre, on Saturday.

Kenya is yet to nurture a celebrated lawn tennis player since the exit of Paul Wekesa and Susan Wakhungu.

This is attributed to tight academic programmes and lack of senior tournaments ito nurture talent.

Kenya has few senior players and this has seen juniors as young as 13 years compete in the under-18 category.

The arrival of world number two female player, Serena Williams, has left juniors burning with desire to excel. The celebrated tennis star was at Sadili Oval Sports Centre yesterday to impart skills to budding players.

She concentrated on rallying, service and reception that are the key aspects of tennis.

After going through the paces under the watchful eyes of their role model the juniors vowed that nothing would stop them from attaining professionalism.

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Encouraged

This was after Serena, who is on a charity tour of Kenya, also encouraged them that they had what it takes to become a star. Owen Nyawalo said Serena had supplemented what he was taught by Murray Williams (not related to Serena) in a training programme in the US.

Butoyi

Nyawalo

Odera Sakina

"Serena’s lessons reminded me of what I learned from Murray Williams when I was in the US. The lessons will help me to improve my game of tennis," Nyawalo told FeverPitch after the clinic. Surprisingly no official of the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association attended the event.

Nyawalo said professional players and coaches should come to Kenya more often to nurture talent if the country needs a place in the world map of tennis.

Aspires to win

"We need world-class players like Serena to come and inspire us to perform better," he said.

Local-based Burundian Sakina Nshimirimana said interacting with Serena would inspire her during the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Circuit starting in Burundi on Ncircuit

"I’m happy to meet and train with her because I now feel great," Nshimirimana said.

"Winning the circuit is the only way of thanking her for the lessons she gave me," an optimistic Nshirinimana said.

Her younger sister and the winner of 2005 ITF Circuit in Nairobi, Asisa Butoyi, also said Serena’s lessons will help her to win at least one of the three ITF rounds in East Africa.

"I’ve trained under a renowned professional and now look forward to being like her," she said.

Sadili Director, Liz Odera, echoed the players’ swentiments: "Serena’s visit is a dream-come-true for our girls, who have modelled themselves on the Williams girls."

Sadili has produced some of the best junior players but most of them quit tennis once they graduate in the under-18.