J60 Accra: Unplayable Danjuma Eases Into Semis, As Brave Etoro Bows Out In Q/F
Lucky Danjuma continued to make tongues wag after another sensational performance at the ongoing J60 Accra Junior ITF event in Ghana.
The Abuja-based teenage tennis player who reached his first ever quarterfinal at the competition, added another feather to his cap by landing himself in the semis of the tournament.
Danjuma who had not gone past the semifinal of a J30 event before, has now reached the semis of the tournament in Ghana after putting up a performance worthy of accolades.
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He played the game of his life against India’s Tanussh Ghildyal in the quarterfinal and matched his opponent toe-to-toe in a match that could have gone either way.
The pair engaged in a final set tie and the Nigerian teenage sensation who started the tournament from the qualifying rounds, won 7-5, 5-7, 7-5. He will now play against Francky Hoimian, the number one seed, in the semis.
Also, Daniel Adeleye made a smooth sail into the semis after a flawless match against Raphael Nii Nortei Dowuona from Ghana which he won 6-1, 7-5 just as Franklin Jimoh knocked out Netherland’s Laurence Teunissen 6-2, 6-4.
Nigeria’s Adeleye and Jimoh will now faceoff in a semifinal match that will ensure that a Nigerian will reach the final in Ghana for a third consecutive week.
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Meanwhile, Etoro Bassey, the only Nigerian female player remaining in the competition, was quite brave in her quarterfinal match against Leila Akhmetova, the tournament’s no. 2 seed.
The Nigerian youngster played a final set cracker against Akhmetova which got the spectators on their feet inside the tennis centre of the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana.
Bassey who trains with the GEUF Tennis Academy in Akwa-Ibom, took the first set 7-5 before yielding the second with the same scoreline. The final set which was another battle, ended 4-6 in favour of the top seed.
The Nigerian player would have been proud of her performance despite losing the tie to her more experienced and higher ranked opponent.
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep monitoring the players’ performance as the third week of the Junior ITF event gradually comes to an end.
