Nina Writes Off Nigerian Players

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Top seed in the Women’s Singles, Russian Nina Bratchikova has declared that Nigerian players taking part in the ongoing 12th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship are not good enough.

Nina who reached the third round of this year’s Australian Open defeated Nigeria’s number one female player, Fatimah Abinu in an easy fight that ended in straight sets of 6-1, 6-1.

The Russian star told P.M.NEWS at the end of the match yesterday that beating Abinu was not a problem for her.

Nina, 27, whose husband was on ground to cheer her to victory, stated that it was an easy match for her just as the outcome proved.

“I never saw her (Abinu) defeating me. So, there wasn’t any way I would have been nervous. I won virtually all my serves and she wasn’t a match for me so it was a pretty good game,” she said.

Nina, who had won the Governor’s Cup in the past, was coy on her chances of winning the Women’s Singles, preferring to take the games as they come.

“I don’t always want to think about winning the event because this gets me distracted. I’d rather take the games as they come and see where I end up at the end of the day,” said Nina, who will play her compatriot, Sofia Dmtrieva, in one of the second round matches today.

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Meanwhile, defending champion of the Men’s singles Kamil Capkovic of Slovakia has said that his 6-1, 6-3 victory over French Maxime Chazal, has given him confidence to win the tournament again this year. .

Capkovic, who is the top seed in the men’s category made little of his encounter with the French as he won in two straight sets, though there were some nervous moments towards the end of the second set.

The three times winner of the Governor’s Cup said that he only regained some confidence after breaking Chazal in the second set.

“I tried to play my game and after breaking him (Chazal) in the second set, I was sure that I would win. I’m the number one seed and will always be the favourite to win,” he stated.

“When the weather is cool like it was today (yesterday), you get to play very well, but when the sun comes down, it becomes really difficult to play.”

The Slovak will battle Nigerian Onyeka Mbanu in today’s second round match. Other Nigerians who would be facing the heat on court today include Sanni Adamu who will face Alesandro Petrone of Italy and Henry Atseye who will battle Kento Takeuchi of Japan.

—Damilare  Okunola

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