Nigerian players to the forthcoming ITF African Junior Tennis Championship serving off next week in Tunisia all put up impressive performances in their opening matches at the MP Tennis Championship holding at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.
The clay court event which is serving as the last-lap of preparations for the championship that will feature more than 30 countries saw Martins Abamu recording a 4-0, 4-2 win over Ayomide Jebutu in his first match in the U-16, while he also bagged a 4-0, 4-0 over Kazeem Fadipe in the second of his round-robin matches in Group A.
Michael Ayoola, another player in the party to the Mediterranean country got a 5-3, 4-2 win over Fadipe and followed it with a 4-2, 5-3 win over Jebutu to earn a passage to the next round from the same group.
In group B, Michael Oshewa, who is also in the team to the AJC, was stretched as he recovered from a set down to beat David Amusu 2-4, 4-2, 10-5. He had it easy in the second match as he defeated Kareem Akande 4-1, 4-1 but lost his final round-robin match to Christopher Bolus 5-4, 2-4, 10-8.
Bolus went on to top the group by beating Akande in his second match 4-1, 4-1.
Tomorrow’s matches will be played in the U-14 category with players like Filippo Trombi, Ayomide Collins Ayo Gabriel slugging it out for places in the knockout stage.
Also, the girls’ event will commence with players like Serena Teluwo, Reya Holmes Lolade Holmes, Oyinlomo Quadri and Angel McCleod, all eager to post impressive results.
There is a huge expectation on McCleod, 13, to impress following the scholarship awarded to her for her performance at the qualifiers held in Togo in January.
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