By Victor Okoye
Abuja, May 16, 2023 (NAN) Nigeria’s number one ranked player Uche Oparaoji on Tuesday crashed to a two straight set defeat in what was his first match at the DavNotch Senior Open Tennis championship in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament’s number one seed came into the tournament having emerged winner of the just concluded 4th Vemp Tennis Championship in Abuja.
The champion was however stunned in a round of 32 encounter, falling 4-6, 5-7(13) to unseeded Sylvanus Ayang.
Oparaoji struggled to find his range early in the contest as Ajang who is number 17 in the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) rankings raced to a 4-1 lead before taking the opening set.
He then raised his game in the second set, preying on mistakes made by a tiring Oparaoji and completed the victory after a long and exhausting tie-breaker to advance to the round of 16.
“This win is so special to me because my opponent is someone I admire and aspire to be like. I’m a big fan of his,” Ajang told NAN in his post-match interview.
“I knew he was a little jaded having played a lot of tennis a few days ago.
“I had my chances in the beginning of the match and I took them.
“The second set was tough mentally as my opponent looked to bounce back, but I really worked hard to be focused.
“I had to be prepared for the war.”
NAN also reports that results of other round of 32 matches saw tournament’s number two seed David Ekpeyong dispatch Mathew Abamu in two straight sets 7-6(1) 6-2.
Lawal Peter defeated Kushimo Usman 6-4 7-6(5) at the end of a pulsating encounter to advance to the round of 16.
In the women’s singles event, number one seed Marylove Edwards strolled past Blessing Samuel 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 16.
She will next face number five seed Toyin Asogba in the quarter-finals after the latter thrashed Rebecca Ekpeyong 6-2, 6-2 in a round of 16 encounter.
Number two seed Aanu Aiyegbusi also eased past Favour Moses 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.
She will take on number seven seed Blessing Omotayo who defeated tournament’s qualifier Khadijat Mohammed 6-4, 6-1
in a Round of 16 encounter.
The DavNotch Senior Open Tennis championship which is its third edition, began on Monday and is expected to end on Saturday. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
