Lagos Open Tennis: Oyinlomo Bags Wild Card

Oyinlomo Quadre’s second round feat at the first week of the Lagos Open Tennis International Championship has earned her another wild card ticket in the final leg of the $100, 000 prizes money event.

It was scooped that that the 14-year-old star prospect was the overwhelming choice for one of the few wild cards reserved for Nigerians in the concluding leg which would commence with two qualifying stages on Saturday (today).

“She played very well despite the fact that she could only reach the second round but it was obvious that she was our most impressive player and this is the key reason why we will give her another wild card,” an NTF technical official said on Friday, pleading anonymity.

The official also disclosed no fewer then 12 players have requested for the wild cards which automatically seals a spot in the main draw – guaranteeing prize money.

Meanwhile, Oyinlomo’s coach, Abel Ubiebi, is hoping for a lucky draw ahead of the second week.

Ubiebi declared that that the former Morocco-based player is in her best form of the year but was quick to add that the youngster would need a fair draw to reach her quarterfinal target.

“Oyin is playing great tennis as she is in her best form of the year but she need a fair draw because of the calibre of foreign players that are here especially from Europe.

“She showed great composure as well as a big fighting spirit against the fifth seed last week. Hopefully, she will cone against lesser rated opponents before the quarterfinals,” the Aces Tennis Club chief coach said.

Lukman Ologunro

Lagos Open Tennis: Oyinlomo Quadre Fails 2nd Round Test

Oyinlomo Quadre failed in her bid to reach her quarterfinal target at the ongoing Lagos Open Tennis Championship following a 6-2, 6-3 lost to Ukrainian Valeriya Strakhova on Wednesday.

Playing against the third seed, the 14-year-old star prospect puts up a courageous performance winning two games in the opening set where she remarkably hit some winners to the delight of the home crowd who rooted for her all through the match played on Court Four of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

In the second set, Strakhova, the right handed double backhand world number 288, could not establish a break in the first four games and it looked like the Nigerian underdog will stretch her a bit this time but she managed to get a break in the fifth game and from that point there was no way back for the Aces Tennis Club player as the European wrapped up the tie 6-3.

“I’m happy with my performance because I wanted a scoreline that won’t make me feel embarrassed. I knew it was going to be very tough playing against her,” the wild card player said, adding that she is looking up to the second week with the aim of improving on her second round showing.

In other women’s singles ties, fifth-seeded Nestja Kolar of Slovania defeated Merel Hoedt of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1 while Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia moved to the quarterfinals following a 6-3, 6-2 win over Zoe Kruger of South Africa. They are joined by Estelle Cascino of France and second seed Deniz Khazaniuk of Israel who all advanced at the expense of Claudia Coppola of Italy and Rosalie van der Hoek of the Netherlands.

In the men’s singles, the seeded players had a field day battling their way past the second round with second seeded Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe leading the victory line following a 6-4 6-3 triumph over Aziz Ouakaa of Tunisia.

Brit Lloyd Glasspool, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech and Ukrainian Danylo Kalenichenko, the third, fourth and fifth seeds all progressed with 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-0 wins over Skandar Mansour of Tunisia, Hugo Largo of Spain, and Arnaud Sewanou of Benin respectively.

Indian sixth seed, Niki Poonachia wriggled his way past the challenge of Alexis Klegou of Benin 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 while Aryan Goveas, the seventh seed from India stop Diego Matos of Brazil 6-3 retired. Jack Drapper of Britain proved the formbook right as the eight seed coaseted to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Lance-Peirre Du Toit of South Africa.

The quarterfinals of the two-leg $100, 000 prize-money tournament hold on Thursday.

Lagos Open Tennis: Nigeria’s Quadre Targets Upset Over Third Seed

Nigerian youngster, Oyinlomo Qaudre, says she is determined to continue her Cinderella run at the on-going Lagos Open Tennis Championship as she squares up against Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine in the second round.

The 14-year-old has been one of the top performers in ITF Junior Circuit in the last two years which has seen her won six tournaments across West Africa- the last of which came in Ghana and Togo – but her talent will come a huge test as the face the third seed from Ukraine in the combined $100, 000 prize-money tournament which has fetched her points in the ITF Women’s Circuit.

“Though, I’m the underdog as far as the match is concerned but I’m confident that I can give her a good challenge. I have the belief I can cross her hurdle,” said the teenager ranked inside the top 300 in global junior tennis.

She also admonished her compatriots not to feel inferior whenever they are taking on their foreign opponents.

OYINLOMO QUADRI

“I used to think before matches that I could not win, and that made me lose games eventually. This is the mentality of an average Nigerian player too.

“If only we could add self-belief, and believe truly that we can make it, many of us would still win some of our games,” she added.

Other matches will see second seed Israeli, Deniz Khazaniuk face off with Dutch qualifier, Rosalie Van Der Hoek. Yadlapalli Pranjala and Riya Bhatia battle for a place in the quarterfinals in an all-Indian clash.

Lagos Open Tennis: Oyinlomo Advances To Second Round

Nigerian Youngster Oyinlomo Barakat Quadri continued her year-long impressive showing with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 win over compatriot Osariemen Airhunmwunde to move to the second round of the Lagos Open Tennis International Championship.

The teenager, who won two singles titles at ITF Junior Circuits in September, was dominant against the former Nigeria number four-ranked player wrapping up the match in less than an hour.

Since her return from the ITF High Performance Center in Casablanca,Morocco, the 14-year-old wild card entrant has been Nigeria’s most successful player at junior level in the last two years.

In another women’s singles match, Valeriy Strakhova of Ukraine eased to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jasmin Jebawy of Germany.

Meanwhile, in the men’s singles, Sylvester Emmanuel crashed out in the first round of the $100,000 prize-money tournament following a 6-0, 6-0 defeat by India’s Arvean Govea.

photo credit: Lagos Open Tennis

The defeat was one of the heaviest for the Nigeria’s number two player who had hoped to make a mark in the upgraded tournament by featuring in tournaments in Monastir, Tunisia last week.

His sojourn to the North African country followed his winning the CBN Open and the Vemp Open, the last two national tournaments in Nigeria.

Govea attributed his comfortable win to the enormous pressure that his opponent was put through noting he (Emmanuel) is popular among the Nigerian fans.

A forgetful day for Nigeria was completed as Joseph Imeh, who like Emmanuel was a wild card beneficiary, also succumbed to a first round defeat.