Governor’s Cup Update: Joseph Imeh Fails To Defeat Top Seed, Bows Out Bravely

Even though he was unable to defeat Cem Ilkel, the number four seed at the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship on Wednesday, he bowed out of the ITF pro-circuit as Nigeria’s best player of the two-week long event.

The Nigerian player who was a losing finalist at the CBN Open Championship early this year, was the cynosure of all eyes as he defeated Abdulmumin Babalola – the same person who deprived him of the CBN Open title – in the preliminary stage of the Governor’s Cup tennis tournament.

Imeh definitely shone like a million stars on the court over the two legs of the tournament.

He followed this up with a virtuoso display against Netherland’s Fransen Stephan, beating the Dutch player 0-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the final set of their encounter in Lagos to a loud appreciation by the spectators inside the Lord Rumens Court of the Lagos lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

But he lost ‘on a high’ in the final match against top Turkish seed, Ilkel in two straight sets of 0-6, 3-6, after giving a good account of himself and winning many hearts with his relentless efforts on the court.

Observers will be keen on the next line of action for the Nigerian player who has also been a shining star in the NCC League where he has been bulldozing opponents with his consistent top class performances week in, week out.

Watch out for Nigerian Tennis Live‘s feature on the metamorphosis of Imeh, a player whose immaturity on the court after losing a semi final match a little over two years ago became a talking point at the Ekiti Open.