WITH great performances comes greater expectations. That is something Jean Claude Gasigwa is going to have to get used to. The country’s top seed has been seeded second in the lucrative KCB Kenyan Open which got underway yesterday with a qualification round at Nairobi Club.

Even with back to back titles in the East African Prize Money Circuit Kigali leg and Uganda Open, Gasigwa who lost to Zimbabwe’s Martin Dzuwa in last year’s KCB Open final insists he still has a long way to go if he is to record a hat-trick of titles this season.

The 26-year-old is refusing to look too far ahead.

"It’s going to be a long and tough road. My body is starting to ware out but the only solace I have is that it’s the same for most of the other players,” he told Times Sport.

Despite bowing out at the semi-final stage of the just-ended Uganda Open, Uganda’s tennis ace Duncan Mugabe holds the top seed status while defending champion Martin Dzuwa of Zimbabwe and home boy Francis Rogoi are seeded third and fourth respectively.

The Open wraps up this Sunday and about Frw 500,000 is at stake for the winner. Over 150 players are to take part in the 2009 KCB Kenya Open tennis championship.

The KCB Open schedule of events which started off with a junior tournament for all junior age categories is to be played in line with the Grand Slam events which run junior events before the main tournament.

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