FCT is in stiff contention with Lagos for the State with the most number of players in the semis of the ongoing TPPA-UTR National Junior Tennis Classics.
As at the time of filing this report, many of the semifinalists had yet to be decided, but the results retrieved so far reveal that Abuja and Lagos may have most players in the semis of the tournament.
The TPPA-UTR Nationals is a climax of the regionals held in 2023, across six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Winners and runners-up qualified for the Nationals while a number of players got Wild Cards to participate.
The event which served off on Monday, 8 April, 2024, is a round robin competition where two players are expected to emerge from each group to play against each other in the semis for a place on the final.
Players from all parts of the federation are competing in the Boys’ and Girls’ Youth, U-16, U-14 and U-12 categories in what is being described as Nigeria’s biggest junior clay court tournament ever.
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And after three rounds of matches, there are indications that Abuja and Lagos are at the forefront of qualification for the semifinals.
In the Boys’ Youth category, FCT’s Abubakar Yusuf, Yahaya Sani Inabo have both won three matches to place themselves strategically for a semis berth while Khadijat Mohammed, the tournament’s number one seed from Abuja, is clearly in the lead for the Girls’ Youth semis slot.
Highly revered Nigerian wonderkid, Bright Emmanuel (Lagos) from the Apapa Tennis Club, Success Ogunjobi and Toyosi Adeusi both from Ekiti, are the other players almost confirmed for a slot in the Girls’ Youth semis as well.
In the Girls’ 16, Adesewa Olaniyan from the Rackethead Tennis Academy in Ikorodu Lagos has all but qualified for the semis of the tournament after her run of multiple wins.
Talented Nigerian no. 1 U-10 junior player, Mofifunoluwa Atilola from Lagos, is clear of her opponents in the race for Girls’ U-12 semis, just as Salvation Alex (Abuja) is among the top contenders.
Ekiti State’s Seyi Ogunsakin is one player to watch out for in the Boys’ U-12 category as he is yet to lose to any opponent in the tournament while homeboy, Nathaniel Aluko from the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, is surely making a huge statement by continuing with his winning streak.
Lagos boys, Adeiza Yakubu and Tertema Ahenjir are set to slug it out in the Boys’ U-12 category in a battle to ascertain the best national U-12 player in the UTR event.
All the semifinalists would have been decided after the final round of matches on Thursday, 11 April, 2024, as the national event nears its business end.
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The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) awards points to players, same as their opponents globally, in what Nigerians have now described as the easiest way to play locally and earn (points) globally.
The tournament which served off on Monday, 8 April will reach its finale on Saturday, 13 April, 2024, inside the tennis section of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos.
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep all our readers updated with the results and outcome of matches leading to the finals of Nigeria’s biggest national junior clay court event ever.