Tennis: Enosoregbe Survives First Round Scare

Damilare Okunola

Tournament’s Number 3 player, Clifford Enosoregbe, struggled to avoid an upset at the ongoing Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Senior Tennis Open in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday when he narrowly won his first round match against Ganiyu Yusuf 3-6,6-0,5-0 (rtd.) in a very tense encounter.

Enosoregbe told P.M.NEWS Sport after the match that although he never underrated his opponent, it took him some time to come to terms with the quality of his opponent.

He said: “It was a good game. I never underrated Ganiyu. But it was when I lost the first set that I realized that this won’t be an easy game. I had to pull myself together because my pride was at stake.”

Enosoregbe who was disappointed with the turnout of players for the annual tournament said: “The attendance this year is quite discouraging compared to what we had last year despite the fact that the prize money has been increased.”

Ganiyu said he had to give up in the third set of the match when he discovered that he could not withstand the powerful serves of the Edo State-born Enosoregbe.

Meanwhile, spectators’ hopes of seeing wheelchair tennis action early in the competition has been dashed as the disabled athletes won’t be in action until Thursday.

The National Coach of wheelchair tennis, Frank Termena, said that it was the top 16 male and female players that would fight for honours in the tournament.

In other matches decided Tuesday, Turkey-based Augustine Nwokedi lost to Emmanuel Sunday, 1-6,6-3,5-0(rtd.), Samuel Omoile defeated Raufu Akinwumi, 6-4,6-0, Nonso Madueke got the better of Lanre Alayaki, 6-0,3-0(rtd.), while Jinadu Owolabi was beaten by Bolaji Olawepo 3-6, 2-6.

In the men’s doubles, Igbinovia brothers, Sunday and Monday beat the pair of Michael Eludoyin and Uche Oparaoji, 6-3, 6-2.