Unseeded Takanyi Garanganga from Zimbabwe enjoyed the full support of the Nigerian fans on ground during his quarterfinal match against Brazilian giant killer, Joao Menezes, but it was not enough to prevent him from suffering an unprecedented loss.
Menezes who won the first leg of the three-week long ITF Futures in Nigeria had lost 5-7 in the first set to the power playing Zimbabwean, but rallied to win the second set 6-4 in an interesting fashion, much to the disappointment of the home fans.
Nigerian Tennis Live observed that at the return of the final set, there was excitement inside the centre court as the home fans kept urging Garanganga on in the match.
 |
| The home support was not enough to get the Zimbabwean a win in the match against the determined Brazilian. |
He built on the momentum and support from the Nigerian fans to hit some great serves while the Brazilian kept his composure in spite of the opposition against him. Menezes held on to drag the match into the tie breaker and eventually won 7-6 (7).
The exclamation after winning the match point explained how tough the match was and the relief he had at seeing off such a tough opponent.
“That guy (Menezes) did not come here to play, you would have known from the way he comports himself on the court.
“I feel he is another favourite to win the second leg after his exploits in the F1 of the three-legged pro circuit. This is exactly what we expect to see from our players, consistency and great composure on the court,” a tennis observer inside the court said of the Brazilian.
Nigerian Tennis Live is live at the Tennis Section of the package B at the National Stadium in the country’s federal capital, to bring unrivaled report of the week two of the ITF Futures.