Team FCT, over the holiday weekend, won five of the seven points at stake to beat Team Kalotari in a White Group tie of the NCC Tennis League at the Port Harcourt Club.
Former national champion Thomas Otu gave the Abuja-based Team FCT the positive start they needed to feel comfortable away from home when he beat Nonso Madueke 7-5, 6-2 in first men’s singles. Sunday Emmanuel followed with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Daniel Odey to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Rose Onoja further extended the lead when she beat Lolia Kienka 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the ladies’ singles before Team Kalotari’s doubles pair of Sunday Maku and Madueke rescued a point by beating the pair of Otu and Taiwo Owolabi 6-4, 6-4.
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| Team Tombim will be in action after the Governor’s Cup Lagos tournament for the next two weeks |
Otu and Emmanuel won their reverse singles before Team Kalotari’s pair of Maku and Patience Onebamhoin took the mixed doubles – beating Sani Adamu and Osaremen Airhunwhunde 6-4, 6-4 – to make the score a little more respectable.
In the second tie at the Onitsha Sports Club, Team Offikwu from Kaduna overwhelmed Team Anambra 7-0 in a Blue Group round robin match.
Nigeria’s No. 2, Sylvester Emmanuel beat Uche Oparaoji, 6-4, 6-2 in the first singles while Emmanuel Idoko defeated Michael Chima in the best match of the tie which lasted 2hrs 30 mins, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.
In the ladies’ singles, Aanu Aiyegbusi, expectedly beat Ezinne Maduike 6-3, 6-1.
The Offikwu team won the reverse singles easily but struggled in the men’s and mixed doubles events.
In the men’s doubles, Albert Bicom and Emmanuel beat Chima and Chinedu Uwagu 7-5, 6-2 while the pair of Idoko and Aiyegbusi edged Uwagu and Maduike
6-2, 2-6, 10-4.
The NCC Tennis League will take a three-week break to allow the top national players take part in the Lagos Governor’s Cup starting October 7.
The tennis league resumes October 29 with a mouth-watering tie between defending champions, Team Tombim of Abuja and Team Lead Way in Lagos.
The NCC Tennis League is offering a total prize money of N17 million with the champions going home with N7 million, runner-up team N5 million, third place N3 million and fourth place N2 million.