Nigeria Tennis Live has authoritatively gathered that David Ekpenyong is the first ever player at the Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) to reach the final of a nationals.
Last weekend, the Nigerian number one tennis player reached an unprecedented final at the ITA Cup in Rome defeating the tournament’s number one seed in the process, but could not land the laurel after a very promising campaign.
This feat, our correspondent gathered, was a first-of-its-kind in the institution and it brought about a lot of excitement in the institution’s tennis team especially since Kyllian Savary had gotten them to the quarterfinal last year.
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Ekpenyong’s coach, Dave Watts, who was excited by the progress the team has made since he joined about three years ago, was also full of praise for the player who fought hard to put the school’s name out there.
“Last year was our first ever appearance at the nationals and this time around, David got us to the finals for the first time in the history of the school. We’ve kind of had a lot of firsts in the last three years and this is really exciting for me.
“I think everybody was very proud and very excited for the program and for David. To be fair, David and I are disappointed because we thought he could have won it. We’re not satisfied with just getting to the final,” Coach Watts told Nigeria Tennis Live.
Our correspondent further asked him how Ekpenyong’s game has evolved since he joined the institution’s tennis team and he had this to say: “I believe if he’s playing the way he can, he can be the best player in the nation. He takes joy in what he does. I noticed when he first came here that he was always smiling on the court. I told him it was my favourite thing about him, and that he had to keep it.
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“The other thing about David is that despite his size, he moves effortlessly on the court. I think that’s one of his major strengths, his movement. For someone his size, he defends very well.
“But one layer we’re really trying to add to his game is to move forward and finish at the net. He moved away from it after the first two rounds. He did not really move forward in the finals as he did in the first rounds. He’s got the ability to attack and finish off at the net and that’s what we’re working on currently.
“We are working with him to stay mentally focused throughout the entire course of the match. He can play well for a while and play a few loose points or games, but he’s getting better at it”.
Ekpenyong is seen as one of those players who have the potentials to go pro, and when asked for his thoughts about this, his coach did not hesitate to share a thing or two about the Davis Cup star.
He said: “I do think the sky is the limit, I don’t want to put a cap on him but he has a lot to learn and develop. There’s still so much room for him to improve.
“I think he has the body and talent for it, but I think that he’s really going to have to learn how to be a pro with his nutrition, fitness, mentality, and preparation…He also needs to keep building skills. The serve needs to improve, as well as his ability to move forward and attack.
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“He has a lot of talent, but it all depends on if he’s willing to put in the hard work into it. He’s moving in the right direction. We’re so happy to have him. He must be willing to take hard coaching…there are just a lot of things to do if he wants to get to the highest level.
“David is a great human, really kind-hearted and respectful. I think he’s excited to be here. He’s young, and has had to learn some things while he’s here. He just needs to keep working and keep smiling on the court”.
Ekpenyong, like Christopher Bulus, is fast making waves for his American institution, and is expected to continue as the point man for the College.
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep tabs on the performance of the Nigerian star boy and report all the updates from his activities to our teeming audience.