Tennis lovers at the Ikoyi Tennis Club 1938 were treated to some interesting tennis actions when youngster Oiza Yakubu made sure she earned her first senior national points after defeating legendary tennis superstar, Omotayo Osewa at the Rainoil Tennis Open Championship.
The youngster who has been tipped by many to be a force to reckon with in Nigerian tennis, made sure she gave it her all against the former national champion whose son, Michael Osewa, is also playing in the tournament.
Oiza won the first set 6-2, lost the second 4-6 and won the tie breaker in the final set 10 -3 to emerge with an unprecedented victory against the woman who is a role model to many top Nigerian tennis stars having stayed as Nigeria’s number one for a very long time.
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| Oiza Yakubu looking ready to return a serve during one of her recent matches. Photo credit: File. |
Observers from the sidelines told Nigerian Tennis Live that the budding southpaw tennis player showed great composure on the court and was focused throughout the game, some of the features which are alien to players of age.
“She also showed that she’s beginning to understand the game with the way she played against such a legendary player.
“Oiza was not scared, she did not play under pressure, and that may have helped her do so much on the court. I feel she’s got what it takes to be a great tennis player,” the spectator at the Ikoyi Club told Nigerian Tennis Live.
In a related development, Kogi-based Mary Udoffa was another player who shone like a million when she played against fellow qualifier, Nwokolo Amala. She won in two straight sets of 7-5, 6-4.
Udoffa who was once dubbed a ‘training material’ on the court, has now risen above her challenges and has won her first point in her first senior national competition.
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| Udoffa playing her first ever national junior tournament at the Kaduna Polo Club in 2014. Photo: File |
Her coach, Gabriel Abinu, who was on ground to give her all the support required, told Nigerian Tennis Live correspondent in Ikoyi, that she played very well.
“Anyway, this is the first ever senior tournament she’s playing and from my own experience (as a coach), I’ll give her 90% as a junior player playing a senior tournament.
“She played very well. The match was okay… at least, beating a senior player will give her more confidence,” the Dunai-based coach stated.
Nigerian Tennis Live will keep monitoring proceedings from the competition and report to our teeming tennis followers from all over the world.