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20h ago

Viral 6-0, 6-0 Loss by ITF Wildcard in Nairobi Prompts Calls for Review

The lopsided match has renewed scrutiny of discretionary wildcards under tennis anti-corruption rules.

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Abdelkader repeatedly failed to hit a legitimate serve and had to receive advice from her opponent
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Overview

  • Hajar Abdelkader, 21, lost 6-0, 6-0 to Germany’s Lorena Schaedel in 37 minutes, winning only three points and committing 20 double faults with roughly an 8.3% first‑serve rate.
  • Abdelkader entered the W35 Nairobi main draw on a wildcard at the $30,000 event held at Parklands Sports Club.
  • Clips from the match posted on the ITF site and shared on X drew heavy attention, with at least one short video surpassing one million views.
  • Vero Beach Futures tournament director Randy Walker publicly questioned the wildcard decision and tagged the International Tennis Integrity Agency to urge scrutiny.
  • The Tennis Anti-Corruption Program prohibits offering or accepting money for wildcards, and while media have sought comment from organizers and the ITF, no formal probe or action has been reported.