National 16 & Under champion, Seun Ogunsakin recovered from trailing 5 – 8 to Gboko based wild card, Kater Kpum, to win the first round robin match of the SNEPCo Junior Tennis Masters taking place at the Luik Tennis Recreation Club in Lekki , Lagos.
Kpum, the 14 & under champion of the MTN Junior Tennis League Championship was given a wild card to play in the Boys 16s and made the most of it, frustrating the more experienced and hard hitting leftie with resilient defensive play.
With some of the points counting 40 to 50 rallies, Ogunsakin who was earlier irritated with seeing all his balls come back decided to give his opponent a dose of his own medicine which paid off. The Ekiti boy finally outlasted Kpum in the tie-break decider 9 – 8. In the other Boys 16s match, Mubarak Ganiyu from Oyo State overran Bode Lawal from Lagos 9-3.
The Girls 12s first round robin match saw Lorelay Holzendoff from Benin City brush off a late surge from Gloria Samuel from Ekiti 9-2 while Ndifreke Benjamin from the Apapa Club defeated Fego Ayetuoma from Port Harcourt 9-4.
The SNEPCo Junior Tennis Masters is featuring the top four players in boys and girls 12s and 16s to focus and develop them to become world class players.
