Akpan Shares Davis Cup Story: I Didn’t Even Have A Racquet To Play
Michael Emmanuel, aka Akpan, was Nigeria’s revelation at the Davis Cup Africa Group III Qualifier in Abuja, but not many knew what he had to overcome.
The Abuja-based tennis player won all four Singles matches he played at the Davis Cup event but it was the first win, an unprecedented upset against Courtney Lock from Zimbabwe, that turned heads the most.
He started the game on the wrong foot, losing the first set despite putting up some impressive performances. In the next match, he was not fit to start, so he was rested, and that was the only match that Nigeria lost all week.
In the next match against Cote D’Ivoire, it was an easy ride for Akpan who won in two straight sets, to set the tone for a 3-0 whitewash of the Ivorian side.
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However, in the tie against Benin Republic, the Nigerian was pushed against the wall by a resilient and more experienced Sylvestre Monnou, and was almost losing the tie mentally. But he came back stronger and earned an infamous win against the Beninoise.
To mark his fourth Singles win in his first Davis Cup appearance, Akpan was more than ruthless against Isaac Nortey of Ghana, winning in two well-played sets.
Behind these outstanding performances by Akpan, however, lies a story of a player who was without hope of participating in the competition.
Nigeria Tennis Live spoke with him after the Davis Cup encounter and he was quite emotional when he was sharing his story.
“I didn’t believe I could do anything at first. But because it was Bulus and I who were okay to start the first Singles and the fact that coach was using me, I had to summon courage.
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“I thought him using me was for a reason and I had to not let him down. And knowing that winning will also encourage Bulus win, I just got more motivated and I kept it going,” Akpan began.
Despite the courage, however, it was not all rosy for the Nigerian player as he confirmed: “In the first set, I said God, even if I lose to him (Courtney), I need him to see that I played very well. I didn’t underrate him, and didn’t underrate myself.
“I just kept going and fought hard, and I saw that I could win. After winning against him, I had the belief that I could defeat others as well”.
On how he took the news of his inclusion in the Davis Cup team, the Abuja-born tennis player said: “When I was told that I’d be playing, I was shocked because I was lowest in the pecking order. I really wished David Ekpenyong was around to take up the challenge.
“And since I could play against David (at the VEMP Open) the way I did, I felt I could put my best into the this Davis Cup”.
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Akpan revealed that he had no racquet to play the Davis Cup tournament as he was gifted a racquet by a member at his tennis club to play national tournaments preceding the event.
According to him: “I didn’t even have a racquet to play, it was a member at the Abuja Country Club that gave Me a racquet to play DavNotch and VEMP Open events.
“When coach (Benson) came around, he asked if I was using the same racquet and I responded in the affirmative. I told him that I’d manage the racquet but he gave me three racquets to practice with.
“I promised to return the racquet after the tournament but he asked me to take care of them. All that was on my mind was for us to get to World Group II.
“I’m happy that I did it even though I did not get as much support as I desired. I’m glad everyone who put me down also saw what happened here (at the Davis Cup event).”
What then is the way forward for this hugely talented player as he has proven to the world that he is a raw talent that needs to be honed?
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“I need a lot of help in terms of sponsorship. I need to play more tournaments and not stay on a spot after this. Get me equipment to play with and I guess I’ll be fine,” he simply stated.
With the help of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Akpan recently played the Kikuxi Tennis Open invitational tournament in Angola, where he reached the quarterfinal.
Despite the loss in the quarterfinals, the Nigerian tennis player saw it as a good move for his tennis progress in recent years and seems to be waiting for what’s next.
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The question begging for answers now is if Nigerians will just watch this super talented player go to waste despite helping Nigeria secure promotion to World Group II playoffs which is expected to take place in February, 2025.
Between now and September, what will be the progress report for this player’s tennis development and how does Nigeria prepare her players ahead of the very important events ahead?
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep tabs on all the performances of the players on the Davis Cup team and report their progress to our teeming audience.
