Yahaya Sani-Inabo reached the round of 16 of the ongoing VEMP National Open Tennis Championship for the first time on Monday after a hard-fought victory over Matthew Abamu in the men’s singles round of 32. The match took place at the National Tennis Centre, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Sani-Inabo began strongly, winning the opening set 6-2 against a confident Abamu. In the second set, Sani-Inabo took a 4-2 lead but Abamu fought back, forcing a tiebreak which he eventually claimed 7-6. However, Sani-Inabo regrouped quickly and dominated the third set, taking a 3-0 lead before Abamu was forced to retire due to physical discomfort.
With the retirement, Sani-Inabo secured his place in the round of 16, where he will face either Endurance Ehiegiamusoe or Ayomiposi Agboola.
Speaking after the match, Sani-Inabo described the contest as tough but rewarding:
"I thank God for the win; it wasn’t easy reaching the round of 16. I hope to stay focused and take it one match at a time, knowing that every opponent is a potential challenge. I also commend the umpire for a fair performance. I’ll be participating in the doubles category as well and am waiting for the draw."
On his part, Abamu acknowledged Sani-Inabo’s surprising performance:
"This was my first time competing in the singles category, though I’ve had more success in doubles. I’ve beaten Sani-Inabo before at the Rainoil National Tennis Open in Lagos in the round of 16, so I expected a similar outcome. However, he played unexpectedly well. I now look forward to the doubles draw and aim to improve my ranking through this tournament."
Other Results:
In other round of 32 matches in the men's singles category:
In the women’s singles round of 32:
The VEMP National Open Tennis Championship features 192 players competing in men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, and women’s doubles. The tournament, which began on July 4, will run through July 12.
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