TPPA-UTR Nationals: Atilola, Adams, Kwange Start With Big Wins

Undisputed Nigerian number one U-10 female tennis player, Mofifunoluwa Atilola, started her journey at the TPPA-UTR Nationals on a very strong note.

The Lagos player, competing in the U-12 category, defeated Mabubat Razaki from Ogun State, in two straight sets, winning 6-0, 6-0 while Grace Oritingbeni was pummeled by Alex Salvation 1-6, 0-6.

In the other U-12 girls’ matches, Lagos-based Success Godwin ensured she ended victorious in her match against fellow Lagos girl, Tiffany Osho, as she battled to a 4-6, 6-1, 10-1 victory while Comfort Bassey beat Barakat Ganiyu 6-2, 6-2.

Niger State’s Emmanuella Kwange, playing in the U-14 category of the UTR Nationals, got the better of Rokibat Afolabi (Oyo State) with a 6-4, 6-1 win just as Bisola Ogunkolade (Lagos) was not so fortunate when she came up against Tomizayi Destiny, as was defeated 1-6, 5-7 in the other Girls’ U-14 match.

The girls’ U-16 match up saw one of the most interesting matches of the day when Fareehah Adams bested Osaherun Osayimwen in an emotional contest on court 4 of the Lagos Country Club, venue of the tournament.

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Adams, a Lagos Lawn Tennis Club player left it all on clay in what looked like her best tennis ever, to see off the final set match which ended 3-6, 7-5, 10-7.

The player’s mum, Mrs. Yinka Adams, who doubles as the captain of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, was ecstatic after her daughter’s win in what looked like an unprecedented victory for the 14-year-old.

Top junior player, Ndidi Osaji, was not so lucky in her match against Tolu Agunbaide, losing in the final set to the Cross River player. The match ended 6-3, 2-6, 3-10. The third girls’ U-16 match ended in favour of Adesewa Olaniyan who beat Jasmine Osho 6-4, 7-5.

Yusuf Abubakar (FCT), the competition’s top seed in the boys’ youth category, played and won his second match of the event, thrashing Damilare Awe 6-0, 6-0 while Fortune Joseph could not manage to keep the momentum up against Ayomiposi Agboola.

Agboola won the final set thriller 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 while Basit Ajao returned to winning ways against Sultan Yusuf with a straight sets win of 6-1, 6-3.

Abuja-based Yahaya Sani Inabo battled another Lagos boy, Israel Taiwo for his second win of the ongoing UTR Nationals, cruising to a 7-5, 6-4 victory.

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In the boys’ U-12 pairings, first-timer Josiah Essien (Akwa-Ibom) was defeated by Festus Peter (Ekiti) 2-6, 0-6; Adekunle Love beat Joshua Olutade 6-3, 6-0; Adeiza Yakubu defeated Korede Ogunkolade 6-1, 6-1 and Tertema Ahenjir fired past Samuel Adegbite with a 6-4, 7-6 win.

Oyo State’s Onyekachi Ogumjiofor beat Elisha Kwange from Niger 6-1, 6-3 in one of the boys’ U-16 matches; Marvelous Bolarinwa saw off Mohammed Abdullahi with a 6-1, 6-2 victory; the match between Segun Monday and Mahmud Musa ended 6-3, 6-2 in favour of the latter.

In other boys’ U-16 fixtures, David Edwards beat Joel Ekpenyong 6-2, 6-4 just as Ogun State’s Quzeem Kushimo defeated Shamsudeen Bello from Niger in an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win.

Matches at the ongoing TPPA-UTR Nationals will continue inside the tennis section of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, on Wednesday, 10 April, as the competition hots up.

Nigeria Tennis Live will keep all our readers up to date on the latest happenings from the competition which brought players from every part of the country to Lagos State.