A match played in Kenya turned into one of the most controversial episodes on the professional tennis circuit in recent times. The resounding victory of the German Lorena Schaedel over the Egyptian Hajar Abdelkader by double 6-0 in just 37 minutes, in the first round of the W35 in Nairobi, sparked a strong public debate because of the gulf in level displayed on court.
The statistics of the match were as eloquent as the images broadcast by the official ITF channel. Schaedel, 24 years old, lost just three points in the 12 games played, hit 13 aces, and reached 92% effectiveness with her first serve. Her only mistakes were two double faults and one forehand that went long after one of the few returns from her opponent.
On the other side, Abdelkader produced a performance that was surprising even by ITF circuit standards. The Egyptian, 21 years old, committed 20 double faults, had just 8% effectiveness with her first serve and 9% with her second, and won only three points, all of them the result of unforced errors by the German. At times, she showed difficulties positioning herself on the court and even displayed a lack of knowledge of basic rules, such as the side from which she had to serve or receive serve.
