Ogun State has the most number of players in the semifinals of the Rock Tennis Foundation Junior Championship which enters Day 2 today.
Nigeria Tennis Live reports that the highly-competitive event which features the best junior tennis players from the southwestern States reached the semifinal stage on Thursday in the Girls and Boys’ U-16 categories.
Home boy and fans’ favourite, Quzeem Kushimo, played the game of his life to defeat rampaging Israel Adeusi from Ekiti State in a final set thriller which ended 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 to ensure that Ogun State remains in contention to defend the title they won last year.
In another match featuring Ogun State, it was Segun Monday from Oyo State that had the last laugh when he faced relentless Wasiu Hamzat in a fierce encounter that raised the roofs at the tennis section of the Abeokuta Sports Club, venue of the ongoing tournament.
Monday had taken the first set 6-4 and was at the verge of competing a two-set win against his opponent as he was leading 5-0 in the second set.
However, in a twist of fate, the home boy, buoyed by the home support and encouragement, fought his way back into the game, and stole the second set 7-6 to send the fans into a wild jubilation.
In the final set, the Oyo State player regained his mojo and deservedly won the match tie break 10-7 to keep the hopes alive for his State to reach the final of the highly-competitive age category.
The Ogun State pair of Ayobami Oduwaye and Sunkami Oduwaye will slug it out for the last semifinal ticket which means Ogun State will have two players in the semis and hope for at least one slot in the final.
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Ondo State’s Daniel Elinda had an impressive outing against Lagos State’s Korede Ogunkolade, winning 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the semis where he will take on one of the Oduwaye brothers.
In the Girls’ U-16, national U-14 champion, Gloria Samuel from Ekiti proved to be too tough for Barakat Ganiyu, her younger opponent from Oyo State, as she won 6-0, 6-0 to set up a semis encounter against Rokibat Afolabi, another Oyo State player.
Afolabi defeated Yinka Ayinla, winner of the Girls’ U-12 event at the 2024 Gbolahan Odele Junior Championship in Lagos, in two hard-earned sets which ended 6-4, 6-2.
Another interesting encounter between Sarah Adisa of Ondo State and Abimbola Ayinla from Ogun State, ended in a final set which the Ondo State player triumphed in. She came back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.
She will now take on a player from Ogun State for a place in the final of the Girls’ U-16 event which will be held on Saturday, 11 January, 2025.