Atilola glitters at inaugural FE&P tennis masters

3 months ago 7

By Guardian Nigeria

20 August 2024 | 3:57 am

Mofi Atilola, the current national U-12 girls champion, was the star of the inaugural FE&P Invitational Masters at the Ikoyi Club, Lagos. The emerging precocious tennis talent from the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club

MOFI Atilola, the current national U-12 girls champion, was the star of the inaugural FE&P Invitational Masters at the Ikoyi Club, Lagos. The emerging precocious tennis talent from the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club had no problem winning the 12s, where she beat Success Godwin from the Lagos Mainland Tennis Club, and Karina Opuene from Bayelsa State in straight sets. It was in the Girls U-14s, where she was given a wild card to prove her mettle that she excelled.

Atilola beat the second seed, Emmanuella Kwange from the Aurum Academy, in Abuja and Favour James of the Uyo-based GEUF Academy, in three sets to qualify for the finals, where she was halted by Gloria Samuel, the current U-14 girls’ champion from Ekiti State. Samuel, aware of the threat the 11-year-old Atilola posed, put on her strongest game face and won the pro set 9-2.

Speaking on the girls’ feat, Director of the International Tennis Academy, organisers of the ITA Junior Tennis Circuit, Godwin Kienka, described Atilola as a “no miss talent,” who with the proper training and guidance could be a top 20 player on the WTA pro tour.

Kienka, who worked with the International Tennis Federation and ATP for several years, was one of the few who tapped Novak Djokovic to become a future world tennis number one in 2006 at the French Open.

The U-14 boys’ final saw Dubem Amasiani from Abuja and Seyi Ogunsakin from Ekiti continue their rivalry to dominate that age group.
Ogunsakin, this time, prevailed 9-2 to win the title. Ikem Amasiani, however, made up for his brother’s loss by beating Okandeji Mohammed in the U-12 boys’ final.

“The whole idea of the FE&P Invitational Masters”, explained the ITA director, “is to identify and isolate our best talent and establish a succession plan from the 12s, 14s 16s, the Next Gen, and then to the professionals.”

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