If what was witnessed at the the Tennis courts of the Lagos Lawn Tennis club, that hosted the grand finale of the 2025 Central Bank of Nigeria Junior Tennis Championship is anything to count on, then permit me to state that Nigeria has a great future and hope in global tennis..
Apart from the enthusiasm witnessed during the preliminary stage of the competition, held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, one was really amazed on the standard of play and skills displayed by the future stars that emerged at the weeklong CBN Junior Tennis fiesta.
One of such remarkable moments was the girls 14 final where the top seed and defending champion, Mofi Atilola from the Mainland Tennis club Lagos,dispatched Godwin Success by sending her packing with a two straight win 6-1, 6-4.to retain her trophy.
She prosecuted the game with a 5-0 lead in the first set before her opponent, Godwin Success pulled a game back to make it 5-1 before Mofi rapped it up at 6-1.
Mrs. Grace Otsemobor of CBN Corporate Communications Department( L), presenting the girls Most Outstanding Player award and trophy to Mofi Atilola (L) of Mainland Tennis club, Lagos.
The second set was also going like the first set with Mofi unleashing wonderful backhand return strokes that got her opponent more confused to lead the set at 4-0. But Success at this point seemed to have rediscovered her lost rhythm to tie the set at 4-4.
But that was the far she could go as Mofi decided to end the game quickly by taking the remaining points to end proceedings at 6-4
Mofi as she was fondly called who also featured in the Girls 16 final having been granted a wild card to play in girls 16 category where she created a major upset by defeating the top seed and defending champion, Gloria Samuel 6-1, 6-4 in one of semi-final matches on Friday to make it double finals for herself.
Mrs Grace Otsemobor(M) from CBN Corporate Communications Department flanked Issah Yahaya(L) and Mofi Atilola( R), the boys and girls most outstanding players
Playing in the Boys 14 category, Issah Yahaya Stopped Lagos boy, Michael Joel 6-0, 06, 10-5 while Goodnews Aina from Ekiti state beat Mofi Atilola from claiming the Girls 16 title by beating her 6-1,6-3.
The Boys 12 title went to Ogoniba Excellency from Bayelsa State who defeated Ogungbe Emmanuel from Ogun State, 6-3, 6-4 while .Opuene Karina defeated Rasaki Mabubat 3-6, 7-5, 10-9 to lift the Girls 12 trophy.
Based on their outstanding performance and excellent display of skills despite featuring in two finals in one day,, Mofi Atilola and Issah Yahaya emerged as the Girls and Boys most outstanding players respectively with giant trophies to go with.
