With a wonderful performance worthy of praise, some of the competitors of the CBN Senior Tennis Open Championship in Abuja have notched their places in the Quarter finals. Some of them include, Oche Adehi, Godsgift Timibra, Nonso Madueke and others who have all booked the quarterfinals berth.
The tournament’s number ten seed Timibra caused an upset on Thursday after he knocked out Peter Lawal, finalist at the just concluded DavNotch Tennis Open Championship.
Lawal had narrowly lost the DavNotch Open men’s final to arguably Nigeria’s hottest junior at the moment, 18 year-old Wilson Igbinovia who had to come from a set down to win 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 in a grueling three set encounter. Timibra dismissed the tournament’s number six seed in two quick straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in the third round to set up a mouth-watering quarterfinals clash against Madueke.
Fourth seed Madueke on his part, defeated unseeded Tochukwu Ezeh who earlier caused an upset when he knocked out the fifteenth seed, Isaac Attah (6-1, 5-1 rtd) in the second round.
Ezeh’s fairytale run in the championship, however, came to an end in the third round as Madueke proved a hard nut to crack, defeating him in two straight sets (7-5, 6-1) to advance to the quarterfinals.
Also, tournament’s seventh seed Adehi brushed off an early challenge from unseeded Canice Abua, beating him 7-6 (3), 6-1 to set up an interesting clash against thirteenth seed Philip Abavomi.
Abavomi had earlier shrugged off a strong challenge from a stubborn Uche Oparaoji, beating him in three sets 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 at the end of a nervy third round encounter.
The 44th edition of the CBN Senior Tennis Tourney which served off on Monday with Round One fixtures at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium is expected to end on Saturday.
Also, the tournament number one seed, Marylove Edwards says she is set for a showdown against Oyinlomo Quadre in the women’s ongoing CBN Senior Tennis Open Championship in Abuja. Edwards who spoke with newsmen after thrashing Mary Tenu-Micheal 6-0, 6-0 in her third-round match on Thursday, said she was anxiously looking forward to another semifinals battle against Quadre.
Both Edwards and Quadre had met in the semifinals of the 2022 DavNotch Tennis Open where the later won 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at the end of a grueling three set encounter.
“Upset happens and if you play your best tennis and lay it all out there in the court, you never can tell; it could be your day.
“I was really disappointed with the outcome of the match when I met her (Quadre) at the semifinals of the DavNotch Open last week because I believed the game was mine.
“It was really close, but I made a lot of unforced errors here and there, especially in the first set which caused me the game at the end.
“I also started late from the first set as I wasn’t patient enough and failed to hold my serve in the second.
“I was carried away at some point in the game when things started going my way and forgot about executing my strategy for the game.
“I often played the ball in my opponent’s box instead of pushing it to the base line which gave her more attacking options.
“Overall, it was a 50/50 game but I hope to correct all my mistakes and execute my strategy perfectly heading into yet another eminent semis showdown with her,” she said.
Results of other third round matches also played on Thursday saw tournament’s number three seed and winner of the just concluded DavNotch Open, Quadre breeze past Jesutoyosi Adeusi 6-1, 6-1.