PHOTO: Tennis Africa Magazine
Debutants, Lagos-based Team Muller will meet either Team Offikwu or Civil Defence in the final of this year’s NCC Tennis League following its overwhelming defeat of fellow debutantes, Team Ndoma-Egba of Abuja in the first semifinal of the competition.
Playing at the Enugu Centre at the weekend, Team Muller beat Team Ndoma-Egba 5-2 to qualify for its first final of the competition, which offers the winner prize of N7 million.
Joseph Imeh set the tome for his team’s success by overpowering a much improved Paul Emmanuel 6-4, 6-4 in the first men’s singles match and Emmanuel Idoko, surprisingly, easily defeated former national champion, Thomas Otu 6-2, 6-2.
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Aanu Aiyegbusi pulled one back for the Abuja-based team when she beat Ronke Akingbade 7-5, 6-1 in the ladies’ singles, but the hope of Team Ndoma-Egba dimmed when the pair of Imeh and Mohammed Mohammed defeated Sunday Maku and Otu 6-3, 6-4 to in the men’s doubles to stretch the lead to 3-1 at the end of the first day’s proceedings.
Team Ndoma-Egba’s Paul Emmanuel fought hard to keep the tie alive in the first reverse singles against a wily Idoko, but could not sustain the momentum that saw him win the first set as his opponent crept back to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Idoko’s win effectively put the tie beyond the reach of Team Ndoma Egba which conceded the second reverse singles but fought to win the mixed doubles with the pair of Osareme Airhunwhunde and Taye Owolabi edging Mohammed and Deborah Gbadamosi 4-6, 6-2, 14 – 12.
The second semifinals between defending champions, Team Offikwu of Kaduna and Team Civil Defence of Abuja will take place in Abuja December 2 and 3.
Source: G Sport
