By John Egbokhan

After 17 years of being known as Lagos Governor’s Cup Tennis, the longest running international tennis tournament in  Nigeria has metamorphosed to the Lagos Open from this year.

Reputed as the foremost tennis tournament in west Africa, the new Lagos Open is the prelude to the transformation of the event from its present ITF Futures circuit to an ATP Challengers Series within an 18-month period, with the implications of turning Lagos State to an international tennis destination point in Africa.

Disclosing the new dimension to a horde of reporters yesterday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club in Onikan, the Local Organizing Committee Chairman, Pius Akinyelure said it was high time that the tournament was taken to the next level  of greatness. He added that the Lagos Open   serves off on September 29th, with the finale of the second week holding on October 13