SNEPCo JUNIOR TENNIS
Kater Kpum from Benue State caused a major upset in the Boys 16 event at the on-going SNEPCo Junior Tennis Masters by beating Mubarak Ganiyu from Oyo State – the Boys 16s champion of the MTN Junior Tennis League Championship held last month.
The ‘Gboko boy” who came very close to beating Seun Ogunsakin, winner of several 16 & under titles, in his first round robin match trailed 5-6 but took the wind off the sails of Ganiyu with a solid cross court pass to level scores. Kpum, with the crowd behind him for that wonderful pass, cruised through to win the match 9-6.
” I came to this tournament with the aim of beating either Ogunsakin or Mubarak and I have achieved that.” Kpum told his admirers at the Luik Tennis Recreation Club in Lekki where the tournament is taking place.
He will now have to beat Bode Lawal from Lagos in his final round robin match and await the outcome of the match between Ogunsakin and Ganiyu to know if he has a place in the finals.
The tournament which has seen such a very high standard recorded a second upset in the Boys 12 where Joel Michael, the third seed, upended Murewa Egbeyemi the 12 & under champion. Michael rallied from being down 0-7 to take the match to a tie-break at 8-8which he eventually won. Egbeyemi will have to beat Chukwudubem Amasiani who beat his younger brother Chibuike, 9-0.
The Girls 12 is all but decided with Lorelay Holzendoff from Benin City and Ndifreke Benjamin clear favourites to reach the finals. In the Girls 16, Khadijat Mohamed is through to the finals while Mary Iorlumun from Benue and Etoro Emmanuel are battling it out for the second spot in the finals.
The SNEPCo Junior Masters, organised by the International Tennis Academy, is featuring the top 3 players in the boys and girls 16s and 12s categories with wild cards for the 14s and 10s champions – boys and girls.
The tournaments ends Saturdaywith a grand finale starting 12 noon
