The Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan Lagos will feel the heat when the semifinal matches of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Junior Tennis Championship take centre stage.
The week-long tournament showcasing the best junior tennis talents across Nigeria began on Tuesday inside the tennis section of the National Stadium, Surulere in Lagos, and has been not short of thrilling.
Day 4 of the competition will see the youngster compete in different semifinal matches as the competition nears its finale.
The most anticipated match of the pairings is the Boys U-16 semifinal which showcases some of the best talents Nigeria has to offer.
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Seyi Ogunsakin, who is nicknamed after Serbian tennis legend, Novak Djokovic, for his ferocious and unyielding style on the court, will be up against David Edwards, who possesses a beautiful onehanded backhand like Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer.
Hence, the players titled the match a battle between Nigeria’s Djokovic and Federer in what promises to be a mouthwatering encounter in Lagos.
In the second semifinal match, Chukwudubem Amasiani, also widely called Carlos Alcaraz, will take on Onyekachi Ogumjiofor, in another tie that will keep spectators on the edge all day.
Mofifunoluwa Atilola, Nigeria’s precocious tennis talent, will be playing in the semis of two age categories.
Atilola who does not turn 11 until 1 October, 2024, is playing in the Girls U-14 and U-16 categories and will relish the opportunity to reach the final in both events.
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In the Girls U-16 semis, she is up against Gloria Samuel, in a repeat of the U-14 final at the Adewale Isa Foundation Junior Tennis Tournament while Akwa-Ibom’s Favour James awaits her in the Girls U-14 semifinal match.
The second Girls U-16 semifinal match will be between Ekiti State’s Goodnews Aina and Alice Paul from Ondo State.
Bisola Ogunkolade will battle Omoyinka Ayinla for the second ticket to reach the final of the Girls U-14 event at the CBN Junior Tennis Championship.
Goodluck Tersoo, another outstanding player who has won virtually every competition he has participated in, in the last few weeks, will be playing in the Boys U-12 & 14 semifinals as he was also given a wild card to compete against the big boys.
He will take on Wisdom Effiong in the Boys U-14 semifinal match while Ashim Gazhal of Oyo State will be his opponent in the Boys U-12 semis.
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Chubuikem Amasiani from Abuja will play the second Boys U-12 semifinal against David Igbinovia while Joel Michael who recently returned from a training tour of the United States, takes on Isa Yahaya in the second Boys U-12 semifinal clash.
In the Girls U-12 semifinal, Success Godwin will battle Adesimi Olaniyan for a spot in the final while Mabubat Rasaki and Barakat Ganiyu will play a repeat of their Stars Enclave Junior Tennis Tournament final in the second Girls U-12 semifinal event.
Nigeria Tennis Live will bring live reports from the CBN Junior Tennis Championship semifinal match which is expected to start by 10am on Friday, 6 September, 2024, inside the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.