Okantey with his trophy
Despite dropping a point to lose the first set 6-4,17-year old Reginald Okantey regrouped brilliantly to beat 2018 GTF/TFG/TPG National Ranking Tour 5 Champion, Samuel Antwi 4-6, 6-1,6-3 to win a dramatic 2019 GTF/TFG/TPG Baboo Sports National Ranking Tour 1 final at the Accra Stadium Tennis Courts last Friday in 3 hours-30 minutes.
The 2019 GTF/TFG/TPG National Ranking Tour 1 was sponsored by BabooSports with support from Tennis Foundation Ghana.
Antwi cruised to the first set in an hour-15minutes and had looked on course for a routine victory against in-form Okantey but the Osu based Okantey bounced back and coped brilliantly with the Antwi fizzing forehand in the early stages, using his backhand to return the fire, and 12 winners almost helped him to win second set 6-1.
In the final set, Okantey Osaka won three consecutive games to lead 3-1 but even then it was not done. Antwi had a chance to break back for 3-3 but Osaka saved it. When Antwi held from 0-40 down at 4-2, Okantey might have been having flashbacks but he held firm to serve out for victory.
“I still feel shocked,” Okantey said. “[At the end] I felt like the match wasn’t completely done but it was done. It’s one of those moments where you are fighting so hard and then when it’s finally over, you’re still in the state of competition” Okantey said.
Antwi also said “I can hardly believe I just played a final of a GTF/TFG National Ranking again,” he told ghanatennis.org . “It was a great final. Well done Okantey. For me it’s a big honour to have this
[runners-up]
prize. Thank you to my team and all my mates from Koforidua Technical University who came from campus to support me”.
Okantey walked away with a pair of Babolat tennis shoes, tennis bag and a set of tennis apparel while Antwi took home a tennis bag and a set of tennis apparel.