G
abriel Inyang last Saturday in Lagos won maiden edition of the Azimuth Shipping Lines
Junior Tennis Championship in the U14 boys category.
The national junior player, Inyang on the day he clocked 13 defeated Qoyum Atanda from
Oyo State 6-2 in the final decided at VGC Club, Lekki, Lagos to claim the star prize.
Inyang who won back-to-back international tournaments in New York in 2016 and 2017 was at his best in the final against Atanda.
In the U14 girls category, Mary Udofia from Kogi State spanked her opponent Salamatu
Haruna from the FCT, Abuja 6-0 in a final which turned out to be a one-sided game.
Mohammed Idris of FCT Abuja triumphed over Seun Ogunsakin from Ekiti State 6-3 to clinch the boys U12 title, just as Esther Oni, reigning Snepco champion from Ekiti State conquered home girl, Nene Yakubu to claim the girls title.
In the boys U16 category, Sodiq Kushimo from Ogun State outplayed Daniel Joshua from Taraba State to win the star prize, while Esther Olamide from Ondo State ruled the girls category as she hammered home girl Serena Teluwo 6-2 in the final.
Meanwhile, finalists in all the categories were rewarded with trophies and prizes in addition to N20,000 and N40, 000 educational grants for runners up and winners respectively.
Also, all the players who made it to the quarter-finals were rewarded with prizes.
The semi-finalists from Team Oyo at the Azimuth tournament were reigning national CBN U12 boys champion, Mubarak Ganiyu who lost 6-4 to the eventual winner Mohammed Idris; Emeka Ogunjiefor (U14 boys) who lost 6-4 to Qoyum Atanda in an all-Oyo State affair, as Sikiru Atanda also in the U14 boys cadre lost to Gabriel Inyang, while Adekunle Abiodun also lost in the semi-final of the U16 boys category.
The quarter-finalists from Team Oyo were Fatimah Ganiyu (U16 girls) and Bamidele Awe (U14 girls).
Sponsor of the tournament, Captain Stephen Martins in his remarks expressed delight at the standard of play exhibited by all the participants, as he pledged a better tournament next year.
Stephen stressed the need for corporate bodies to complement government's effort and support tennis by way of sponsoring tournaments especially for junior players.
Caption: Winner of the U14 boys title, Gabriel Inyang.
South African Kevin Anderson won the second-longest match in Wimbledon history by outlasting American John Isner to reach the men's final.
They slugged it out on Centre Court for six hours and 35 minutes before the eighth seed came through 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (9-11) 6-4 26-24.
The final set alone lasted for two hours and 50 minutes.
Anderson, 32, will face either Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday, July 15.
The match duration beats the 2012 third-round epic at Wimbledon between Marin Cilic and Sam Querrey - which lasted five hours and 31 minutes - and also smashed the previous record for the longest semi-final at SW19, when Djokovic needed four hours and 44 minutes to beat Juan Martin del Potro in 2013.
It is the third-longest match in tennis history, falling short of the 11 hours and five minutes that it took for Isner to beat France's Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set in their first-round match at Wimbledon in 2010.
The match was also just shorter than a Davis Cup first-round match between Argentina's Leonardo Mayer and Brazil's Joao Souza, which went on for six hours and 43 minutes in 2015.
Anderson, who was runner-up to Nadal in last year's US Open final, becomes the first South African man to reach the Wimbledon decider since Brian Norton in 1921.
He finally broke the 33-year-old American in the 49th game of the decider after coming close in a couple of earlier games and looked impassive as he held his nerve to secure victory.
Anderson and Isner are old friends and there was little celebration from the South African as he went over to the other side of the net to embrace his beaten rival.
He came into the match having beaten Roger Federer in four hours and 14 minutes on Wednesday - and had been on court for three hours and 29 minutes in his fourth-round win over France's Gael Monfils.
In contrast, Isner's longest match was three hours and 46 minutes against Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans in round two, where he had to save two match points.
"I don't know what to say right now. just playing like that in those conditions was tough on both of us," he told BBC Sport.
"You feel like it is a draw, but someone has to win. John is a great guy and I feel for him. If I was on the opposite side, I don't know how you take it - getting through something like that is quite different.
"I have known John for such a long time, he is a great guy. To be honest he has pushed me through my career and had a great one himself.
"I have pushed myself harder because of the success he has had. I have to say congratulations to John on a great tournament and hopefully he can come back stronger."
Is it fair on the players not to have a final set tie-break?
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe: "I hope this magnificent effort by these two experienced and very fit professionals allows the powers-that-be to make a change. For them and for those players coming up.
"I believe that strongly, for our sport to continue to have as many people as possible watching. You can't say playing a tie-break would not have been a magnificent end to this game. The fifth set doesn't have to end six-all, it could be 10-all.
"This will have an effect on Anderson's performance on Sunday. Rules should be made to benefit the players."
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman: "When we had the first Isner match, we didn't think we would see that again. But in the context of this game, it's going to be incredibly challenging for Kevin Anderson in the final and I think it will be on the agenda for Wimbledon to discuss after the Championships."
The pair came into the match with a total of 248 aces between them and it was no surprise that serving was to the fore once again.
With break-point chances few and far between, the opening two sets went to tie-breaks. Leading 4-3 in the third set, Anderson eventually broke to end Isner's run of 110 consecutive service holds.
It left him serving for the set - but he missed his chance and it went to another tie-break, which Isner won.
Anderson broke early in the fourth set for a 3-2 lead, only for Isner to break straight back.
The South African broke again to make it 5-4 - and this time he held serve to send the match to a decider.
As fatigue started to creep into both players' games, it took until the 15th game before Anderson earned the first break-point chance, which Isner saved with ace number 42.
Anderson had another chance in the 21st game - and again in game 34 - but the American held firm.
However, he started to look wearier on his serve and - eventually - Anderson seized his opportunity.
Caption:
Anderson (left), and Isner, in a show of sportsmanship after the epic semi-final clash at the Centre Court.
The supposed "rematch" between Hall of Fame former heavyweight world champions Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko is not set despite the announcement by the World Boxing Council (WBC) on Tuesday.
The sanctioning organisation said on Tuesday that Lewis and Klitschko, both former WBC champions, would meet in an exhibition match during the organisation's annual convention, which will take place September 30-October 5 in Kiev, Ukraine, where Klitschko -- who was instrumental
in bringing the convention to the city -- serves as mayor.
But on Wednesday, the WBC said that Lewis' team told the organisation it has not been contacted to arrange any exhibition. Recently, Klitschko, who turns 47 next week, said he wanted to face Lewis, 52, in an exhibition for charity, but it has not actually been arranged.
In an epic slugfest on June 21, 2003, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Lewis, trailing 58-56 on all three scorecards, stopped Klitschko at the end of the sixth round when the referee waved off the fight in Klitschko's corner due to a horrific cut he suffered over his left eye that Lewis had opened with a punch.
Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs), of England, elected to retire rather than face Klitschko in a rematch. Two fights later, Klitschko returned to Staples Center and knocked out the late Corrie Sanders in the eighth round to win the WBC title Lewis vacated upon his retirement.
In 2012, Klitschko (45-2, 41 KOs), who was in his second WBC title reign, vacated the belt and retired to pursue a career in Ukraine politics.
Lewis and Klitschko were both elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Lewis was inducted into the Canastota, New York, shrine in 2009 and Klitschko joined him in June.
Caption:
Lennox Lewis (right) landing a blow on the jaw of Vitali Klitschko, during their last bout in Los Angeles in 2003. Lewis won by TKO in Round six.
At 93, John Wright is still serving up aces and challenging line calls with a passion John McEnroe would be proud of.
Having travelled the world with the Merchant Navy from a young age, he didn't have the opportunity to take up the game until he was 49.
By then he found there was little encouragement or opportunities for "sub-standard" players like himself.
"Nobody wanted to see me, they used to hide when I came down to the club," he joked.
"I realised the situation is the same everywhere, it doesn't matter which club you go to.
"I thought these poor people, they come down to play tennis but nobody wants them because they don't play to their standard or give a good game."
In 1987 John decided to set up a Friday night group at Haverfordwest Tennis Club in Pembrokeshire, which welcomes players of all capabilities with open arms.
It has been going strong ever since and John has earned himself something of a legendary status in west Wales' tennis circles.
"If it wasn't for John I wouldn't be playing," said Liz Green, who has been in John's group for 26 years.
"When I came back after having my two children I lost my confidence and didn't feel good enough to play on club nights.
"Everybody here will have their own story, but they will all have come initially because they had lost their confidence or didn't feel good enough to play."
Other members described him as inspirational, kind and welcoming.
As well as increasing participation, when John was chairman at Llangollen Tennis Club in 1975 he oversaw a decision to scrap the "all white clothing rule" in a bid to make the sport more informal.
John leads and plays in two tennis groups in Haverfordwest on Mondays and Fridays.
He says he "knows the mechanics of the game" but is unable to demonstrate the shots like he used to.
But his members insist he's still more than capable of hitting winners and loves to challenge a line call.
Not even the recent heat wave has stopped him from playing.
John has played competitively in leagues over the years and picked up his first piece of silverware in a mixed doubles tournament aged 88, but he admits to preferring the fun and social side of the game.
"I don't think you make too many friends playing competitive tennis.
There's an old saying, 'I've got lots of friends I don't like,'" he said.
"We (the Friday group) have a good laugh. Serious play is not of any interest to me."
And John has no plans of hanging up his racket anytime soon, saying "age doesn't matter at all".
John said his all time favourite tennis player is the controversial Romanian Ilie Nastase.
"He didn't play to the textbook like he should have done," he said.
"I don't think he ever had any coaching, but there wasn't a shot that he couldn't make at any time.
"He had so much fun out of the game, almost to the point where it would cost him the game sometimes.
"But he was always trying to have a laugh and a joke and he was such a fluent player."
John favourite current player is Roger Federer, but he refused to be drawn in on who will take the Wimbledon title this year.
And John's love of sport does not stop at tennis, the 93-year-old also has a love of racing fast cars.
When he turned 90, John drove an Aston Martin around Silverstone at 124mph, and harbours dreams of driving a McLaren Formula 1 race car.
Source: www.bbc.com/sport/tennis
