Nigeria’s top-ranked female tennis player, Marylove Edwards, will look to defend her title when she takes on Oiza Yakubu in the final of the 2022 Lagos Tennis Cup at the centre court of Lagos Tennis Club, Onikan, on Sunday.
Edwards reached the final of the tournament after she brushed aside Toyin Asogba 6-2, 6-0 in the second semi-final of the women’s event on Saturday.
The 17-year-old sensation had defeated eighth seed Blessing Omotayo 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the competition on Thursday.
After her semi-final game she said, “It was a weird match, but happy to get through.
“In these kind of matches, it’s not always going be pretty, it’s not always going be your best stuff, but a win is what matters.”
Yakubu on her part, booked her spot in the final spot after breezing past second seed Aanu Aiyegbusi 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets.
In the men’s event, Uche Oparaoji advanced to the finals for the third consecutive time with a two-set victory of 6-2, 7-5 over Godsgift Timibria.
Oparaoji will now face Peter Lawal, who got the better of Abayomi Philip 6-2, 6-4.
The champions in both categories will earn N500,000 each, while the runners-up will get N250,000. Each player is to receive N50,000 to help with welfare, while a stage one exit earns a player an additional N50,000.
He describes tennis as a hugely popular sport in the country.
“Tennis in Nigeria was hugely popular and we are hoping that with the Lagos Tennis Cup and the Abuja Tennis Cup we can create a platform to discover and inspire the next Nduka Odizor,” he concluded.
The Lagos Tennis Cup, which debuted in 2021 is part of a new addition to the national tennis calendar called the Nigerian Tennis Majors, and which also includes the Abuja Tennis Cup.
