Benjamin Jeremiah and Yahaya Sani-Inabo have advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the VEMP National Open Tennis Championship, taking place at the Tennis Arena of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The pair triumphed over John David and Godgift Timibra in a closely contested round of 16 match, winning with scores of 6-4, 7-6(5) at Court 4 of the National Tennis Centre yesterday.
The first set was tightly contested, remaining level at 2-2 until Jeremiah and Sani-Inabo managed to break their opponents’ serve, ultimately taking the set 6-4. The second set was equally intense, culminating in a tiebreak after finishing at 6-6, which the duo secured with a score of 7-6(5), thereby earning their place in the last eight.
Jeremiah and Sani-Inabo are set to face the formidable duo of Daniel Adeleye and Abubakar Yusuf, in the quarterfinals. The latter pair demonstrated their strength by comfortably defeating Endurance Ehiegiamusoe and Saidu Sani-Inabo with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2 in their previous match.
Following their victory, Benjamin Jeremiah expressed his satisfaction with the outcome: “The game was fine, it went well, and we’re happy with the win. This is my first time playing in this specific doubles competition, although I’ve competed in senior events before. Unfortunately, I didn’t progress far in the singles, getting knocked out in the qualifying rounds,” he remarked.
His partner, Yahaya Sani-Inabo, also acknowledged the challenges of their match: “I thank God for the victory. It wasn’t easy, but we made it through. I’m taking things one match at a time and staying focused. I’m also looking forward to my next singles match against Endurance Ehiegiamusoe and hoping for another win,” he added.
In other notable doubles matches, Daniel Adeleye and Abubakar Yusuf defeated Endurance Ehiegiamusoe and Saidu Sani-Inabo 6-1, 6-2. Meanwhile, Lucky Danjuma and Mubarak Ganiyu claimed victory over Ezekiel Azi and Dahiru Mohammed, who retired with the score at 6-1, 4-1. Canice Abua and Musa Mohammed comfortably defeated Terry Akuchu and Charles Uwandu with a score of 6-1, 6-1. In a thrilling encounter, Mathew Abamu and Emmanuel Michael edged past Chima Michael and Ikechukwu Iloputa, winning 6-0, 6-7(4), 10-7 to secure their place in the quarterfinals.
The VEMP National Open Tennis Championship features 192 players competing across various categories, including men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, and women’s doubles. The tournament commenced on 4 July and is scheduled to conclude on 12 July.
