Mofifunoluwa Atilola, an 11-year-old tennis youngster has reached the second round of the ongoing Rainoil National Tennis Open after winning her opening match.
The national U-14 champion who got a wild card to participate in the national tournament was at her best during the first round of her Women’s Singles match against Toluwalase Agunbiade.
Atilola lost the opening set 2-6 against before rallying back with a 6-4 win in a tough and keenly contested second set. She maintained her composure in the final set to take the match 6-2 and gain her first points in a senior national championship.
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Another upset in the Women Singles was in the match between Blessing Otu and Mary Udoffa, a finalist at the 2024 Dala Hard Court Championship in Kano, and the tournament’s number three seed.
Otu, unseeded for the Rainoil competition, gave herself a chance to go far in the tournament when as she beat the number three seed in two straight sets of 6-2, 6-4.
In the Men’s Singles event, Christopher Bulus, Nigeria’s only player on the ATP rankings, returned home to play a national event for the first time in almost a decade.
The Davis Cup star who upset Kris Van Wyk (ATP 358) of South Africa in one of Nigeria’s ties at the recently held World Group II Playoffs in South Africa, is the tournament’s number one seed and expectedly won his opening match.
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The US-based player defeated Izueke Chidera 6-1, 6-2 to stroll into the second round of the Rainoil National Tennis Open which he remains the favourite to win.
The Doubles matches will be played on Wednesday, 5 February, 2025, while the Singles matches are expected to return on Thursday, 6 February, 2025.
The Rainoil National Tennis Open which served off on Monday, 3 February inside the tennis section of Ikoyi Club 1938 will end on Sunday, 9 February, 2025.