Joseph Imeh, at the moment the hottest player on the Nigerian tennis circuit and Thomas Otu, the immediate past national champion, will have to make vital contributions in the NCC Tennis League semifinal tie taking place at the Enugu Sports Club this weekend if their teams are to reach the finals, where a jackpot of N7 million awaits the winner.
Imeh and Otu playing from the Blue and White Groups respectively are yet to lose a match in the League after 10 singles matches. They have always contributed two points from the singles and paired a team mate to win the doubles and the mixed doubles.
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With both players in very good form, tennis followers will have a huge treat when they meet tomorrow and Sunday.The tie will, however, be decided by the quality of the backup singles players and the ladies singles. Here, Team Muller’s Emmanuel Idoko, who lost to Otu in three sets at the Governor’s Cup in Lagos, has a slight edge over Emmanuel Paul, the No.2 player for Team Ndoma Egba. In the ladies, the expected matchup will be between Ronke Akingbade of Team Muller and Aanu Aiyegbusi of Team Ndoma-Egba.
Last year Aiyegbusi, playing for Team Offikwu, recovered from a set and 1-5 down to beat Akingbade, then of Team Leadway, in the decider in Kaduna. Both players obviously have something to prove and the tennis fans who are storming Enugu from all parts of the South East will have a tennis feast in the hands.
Matches are expected to start at 10 am on both days
Source: G Sport
