Uche Oparaoji will be playing the DavNotch Tennis Open Championship Men’s Singles final match after winning a tension-soaked game on Friday, 31 May, 2024.
The Davis Cup player was on another level during his match against Usman Kushimo, another player who seemed to have rediscovered his tennis magic wand at the national tournament in Abuja.
Lefty, as the former Nigerian number one player is fondly called, comfortably won the first set 6-2, but was pegged back by a spirited Kushimo who was buoyed by the spectators inside the tennis section of the National Stadium in Abuja. He won 6-3 in the second set.
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The final set was, however, a battle on its own, as both players left it all on the courts to ensure a worthy winner would be playing in the Men’s Singles final. Oparaoji, the African Games player, eventually took the day, winning 6-4.
In the other Men’s Singles semifinal match, Ikechukwu Iloputa had to retire in the match after an injury he sustained from a fall on Thursday recurred during his match against David Ekpenyong.
Ekpenyong who was experiencing another pain of his own was able to continue the game, but his opponent, after a medical time out, had to end the game which ended 6-4, 3-0 (rtd).
One of the DavNotch Open Women’s Singles semifinal matches also ended in a player retiring. Blessing Omotayo, winner of the 2024 Vemp Open event, was forced to end the game abruptly after her knees could no longer serve her during her match against Khadijat Mohammed.
The game ended 5-0 (rtd) in favour of Mohammed who will now take on the tournament’s number two seed, Anu Ayegbusi, the Jos-based Nigerian top player who beat Timipre Maxwell 6-1, 6-3.
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The Men’s and Women’s Singles matches will be played on Sunday, 2 June, 2024, inside the tennis section of the National Stadium, Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Doubles final matches will be played on Saturday, 1 June, 2024. The Men’s Doubles will be played between pair of Daniel Adeleye and Yusuf Abubakar and Ajang Sylvanus and Mohammed Musa.
Khadijat Mohammed will partner Mary Udoffa to battle the pair of Aanu Ayegbusi and Blessing Omotayo in the Women’s Doubles final. Matches are scheduled to start by 12noon.