Nigeria’s number one male tennis player, Michael Moses, has overcome a turbulent but interesting year 2016 and has moved on in 2017.
In this exclusive chat with Naija Tennis Special, the Abuja-based star reveals why he will be in the United States for most part of 2017.
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| Michael Moses in action during last year’s NCC Tennis League. |
Excerpts:
How would you rate Year 2016 as a person?
Well… for me, 2016 is the hardest year so far but I still love it because I did well in almost all the
tournament that I participated in. It also happened to be the year I became the number one player in Nigeria.
What parts of Year 2016 were the most exciting for you?
The most interesting parts of last year were my participation in the CBN Open and Mac Dan tournament in Ghana; those tournaments were the hardest but I still won which goes to show how much I have improved.
Any regrets in 2016?
Governors Cup happened to my biggest undoing. I got to the tournament without my racket and had to buy a new one but because I was not used to it, I faced so many difficulties, that was how I lost in the first first round. It was really painful.
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| Moses in serious pains after spraining his thighs during the finals of the NCC Tennis League in Lagos. His Tombim team lost to debuntant Offikwu |
The second was the NCC League Final where I sustained an injury and could not play properly again. Well, I have moved on and I have gotten better.
So, what are your plans for 2017?
My plan for 2017 is to attend college and will also be playing tournaments around the US where I shall be attending college this year.
What college are you attending and how did you get the link to the US college?
When we traveled to Madagascar for a tournament, I met the coach from Xavier University of Louisiana who told me everything the school can offer in terms of studying while playing college tennis and I quickly grabbed the offer.
How long will you be in college?
All things being equal, I shall be there for four years.
What are your ambitions for 2017?
It looks like a tall one but it is one which can be actualised; I want to be among the top 100 tennis players in the world.
How do you intend to achieve this?
Like I said earlier, I know it will be difficult to achieve, but since I am going to college, I will meet different coaches and I believe I will be a different player entirely.
