6th May, 2013
Former champion, Henry Atseye, has reclaimed the Men’s Singles crown of the 2013 Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Senior Tennis Championship after defeating, Clifford Enosoregbe in the final.
Atseye had won the first set of the grudge final 7-6, but his opponent could not finish the second set due to injury as he retired 6-5, giving Atseye a good opportunity to be declared the winner of the N700,000 prize money and a giant trophy, which he last won in 2011. Enosoregbe was given the sum of N500, 000.
The match final, which was played at the tennis court of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Saturday, was a repeat of last year’s quarter-final duel between the two players which Enosoregbe won. The contest lived up to its billing as quality tennis action was on display by the finalists, but was however suspended after the second set when Enosoregbe couldn’t continue as a result of an injury he sustained in the first set. A resilient Enosoregbe limped off the court in the in the second set; he was later confirmed unfit to finish the match by the medical team. Speaking after winning the highly competitive fixture, Atseye said that Enosoregbe was a top player and there was no way he would have won easily if not for the injury of his opponent. He said that he took inspiration from his semi-final comeback against former champion, Abdulmumuni Babalola.
Wild card Ronke Akingbade upset Nigeria’s number three ranked female player, Christie Agugbom 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to win the Women’s Singles trophy. Akingbade was a proud winner of N700, 000 prize money, while Agugbom was given the sum of N500, 000.
Akingbade’s victory ensured that the Women’s Singles produced a new winner for the first time since 2011. In other results, Abdulmumuni Babalola paired Shehu Lawal to defeat Samuel Omoile and Nonso Madueke 6-3,6-0 in the Men’s Doubles final, while Christie Agugbom and her partner, Blessing Samuel proved too strong for the duo of veteran, Omotayo Ibrahim and bud
—Damilare Okunola