Port Harcourt based Team Kalotari continued their clean sweep in the Blue Group of the ongoing 2017 NCC Tennis League with a 7-0 drubbing of Team VGC Lions of Lagos at the Port Harcourt Club over the weekend in a tie that witnessed several rain interruptions.
Team Kalotari’s Christian Paul blazed the trail by beating Onyeka Mbanu 6-2, 3-2 (scratch) in the first men’s singles, Emmanuel Sunday overcame Martins Abamu 6-3, 7-6 in the second singles while Blessing Samuel stretched Kalotari’s lead to three by defeating Lovette Donatus 6-1, 6-2 in the women’s singles.
The Abamu brothers combined to try to halt the rout but only came close in the mixed doubles where Martins Abamu and Donatus stretched Paul and Samuel but still lost 2-6, 6-3, 12-10.
The brothers who had been beaten by Paul and Sunday in the reverse singles also lost the doubles to the combination of Ikechukwu Iloputa and Paul 6-2, 6-2.
In Ibadan, Abuja-based Team Civil Defence still hurting from their close 3-4 loss at home to Team Muller, were ruthless against the rookie Team Oluyole despite the fact that their lead player Abdulmumuni Babalola is a ‘Home Boy’.
Babalola recused himself from the singles but former national champion Clifford Enosoregbe, Nonso Madueke, Chima Michael and, Nigeria’s women’s No.1, Christie Agugbom combined to inflict maximum damage on the home team which lost 0-7.
At the Lagos tie, Team Muller surprisingly lost two matches to Team Optiweb of Ilorin.
Uche Oparaoji upset Emmanuel Idoko in the reverse singles 2-6, 7-6, 10-8 and the pair of Henry John and Oluchi Ozurumba beat Mohammed Mohammed and Deborah Gbadamosi 4-6, 6-3, 11-9.
Joseph Imeh and Ronke Akingbade, expectedly, won their singles matches while Imeh and Mohammed beat Henry John and Isaac Emeruwa in the men’s doubles.
The NCC Tennis League which is offering a consolidated total prize money of N23 million continues this weekend with matches in Abuja, Kaduna and Ilorin.
In Abuja, Team Ndoma-Egba will host Team Tech Vibe of Jos; Team Goshen of Ilorin will host Team CBN Futures of Lagos while defending champions, Team Offikwu will be at home to Team Yetade of Ado Ekiti in Kaduna.
