Wednesday, September 5, 2018
DMD FC (Borno) vs Potiskum FC (Yobe) – Yola
Madagali FC (Adamawa) vs Ashana FC (Taraba) – Gombe
Bityong Cornerstone (Kaduna) vs Sokoto United (Sokoto) – Katsina
Dan Masara FC (Kebbi) vs IMG FC (Zamfara) – Sokoto
Kogi United Feeders (Kogi) vs Tornadoes Feeders (Niger) – Abuja
Akure City FC (Ondo) vs Wasiu Alabelewe (Osun) – Sagamu
Rickymarts Academy (Cross River) vs Confine FC (Akwa Ibom) – Yenagoa
Altar Knight (Ebonyi) vs IfeanyiUbah Feeders (Anambra) – Enugu
Topworld FC (Ekiti) vs All-Stars of MKO Stadium (Ogun) – Osogbo
Akajiobi FC (Imo) vs Crime Busters FC (Enugu) – Umuahia
Round of 64 – Sunday, 9th September
Round of 32 – Sunday, 16th September
Group Stage (16 qualified teams to play in 4 centres) 24th – 28th September
Quarter Finals – Wednesday, 3rd October
Semi Finals – Sunday, 7th October
Grand Finale – Sunday, 14th October
Tuesday, 4 September 2018
Friday, 31 August 2018
Williams sisters' past career meetings : Serena leading Venus 17-12
The world is indeed set to witness the 30th edition of Venus Williams versus Serena Williams any moment from now.
Interestingly, it will be the sixth time the Williams sisters will face each other at Flushing Meadows, USOpen.org looks back on a rivalry like no other.
Here is the recap of the previous meetings between the two sisters with Serena leading her elder sister, Venus 17-12.
*Australian Open 1998 Rd of 64: Venus wins 7-6, 6-1.
A singular sibling rivalry is born in Melbourne, with a 17-year-old Venus claiming the somewhat awkward first-time all-in-the-family matchup between loving sisters. “If I had to lose in the second round, no better than to Venus,” says Serena, who was 16 at the time.
“I tried to keep thinking of her as someone else, but I guess Venus has a little more
experience than me.”
*Rome 1998 quarterfinals: Venus wins 6-4, 6-2.
Playing the very first clay-court tournament of her career, Serena struggles to find her footing in a straight-sets loss to Venus.
*Miami 1999 final: Venus wins 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Venus remains undefeated in her head-to-heads against little sis, claiming their first-ever meeting in a final in three hard-fought sets. “Serena wanted to win this title. She always wants to win,” said Venus. “That's her personality.”
*Grand Slam Cup 1999 final: Serena wins 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
On the heels of becoming the first Williams to claim a Grand Slam trophy (1999 US Open),
Serena gets her first win over Venus, the event’s defending champion. “I've never actually beat Venus,” says a surprised Serena. “I didn't know how it feels. It's actually kind of tough to take this win. I actually have had a win over everyone in the Top 10. I never had a win over Venus.”
*Wimbledon 2000 semifinals: Venus wins 6-2, 7-6.
Venus upsets her favored sister en route to her first Grand Slam title. They would later team up for the doubles title and, later that summer, Olympic gold. “I know Serena lost,” Venus tells reporters. “She's a real competitor, probably even more than what I am as far as when it comes to losing. She hates to lose. That really hurts her deep.”
*US Open 2001 final: Venus wins 6-2, 6-4.
The highly-anticipated US Open final — the first major final contested between sisters in the Open Era and the first prime-time women’s final — is a somewhat anticlimactic one, as Venus cruises to an easy win. “This is our first Grand Slam final together, and really that's the way we'd like it to be,” said Venus. “Then both of us win in a way. I just hate to see Serena lose — even against me. I think that's the harder part. If anything, it would be easier for her to beat me. Then I'd maybe be happier.”
*Miami 2002 semifinals: Serena wins 6-2, 6-2.
Venus came into the semis riding a 22-match win streak, but it was Serena who would walk off with the trophy, her first win over the elder Williams since 1999. “This definitely is a very big milestone for me and all the younger sisters and brothers out there,” quips Serena. “This is just one of many. This just sets us as a great rivalry, for sure.”
*French Open 2002 final: Serena wins 7-5, 6-3.
Venus and Serena, clinching the Nos. 1-2 spots in the rankings, respectively, just as their father had predicted, face off in the Roland Garros final, with Serena claiming her first Slam crown in three years.
*Wimbledon 2002 final: Serena wins 7-6, 6-3.
In the second of three major finals contested between the Williamses in ’02, Serena raises her first ironically-titled Venus Rosewater Dish and leapfrogs her sore-shouldered sister to claim the world No. 1. “My dad always said that one day we'd be playing in the finals of Wimbledon, in the finals of the US Open, just the big ones,” Serena reflected. “And here we were 10, 15 years later. It's really amazing if you think about it because my dad and my mum, it's hard to get one champion, but now he has two.”
*US Open 2002 final: Serena wins 6-4, 6-3.
If their first US Open final came off as somewhat of a dud, this one saw a dazzling display of tennis, the Puma catsuit-sporting Serena pulling even in the family head-to-head at 5-all.
“If anything, I prefer to play Venus because that means that we have reached our maximum potential and that we'll both go home winners,” says Serena. “I always want to ee Venus do well. I never want to see Venus lose. For me, I'm happy to play her in the final.”
*Australian Open 2003 final: Serena wins 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Lil' sis puts the finishing touches on the “Serena Slam,” becoming the first player since Steffi Graf in 1995 to hold all four major titles at the same time. “I wouldn't say I'm more mentally tough than Venus,” she says. “Most of my ideas and everything I actually get from her. Most of my fight and courage I've gotten from Venus.”
*Wimbledon 2003 final: Serena wins 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
With her sister nursing an abdominal injury, Serena pulls it out in three in this rematch of
the ’02 SW19 final. On the awkwardness of facing her sister, Serena said, “I was just telling
myself, "This is Wimbledon. God knows if I would get this opportunity again.' I just kept
telling myself that. I think if anything, I fought harder.”
*Miami 2005 quarterfinals: Venus wins 6-1, 7-6.
In their first meeting outside of a final in three years, Venus gets back on the winning side.
“We’ve played some huge matches,” says Venus. “This one definitely is a highlight.” After
falling behind 5-0 in the opening set, Serena smashes her racquet. “Her racquet is actually
fragile,” adds Venus. “It's powerful but fragile. Mine is not fragile, so I can tap mine a bit
harder. But hers goes no matter what. She is definitely a little bit more fiery than I am. I
kind of keep an even keel. It's just the way I am.
*US Open 2005 Rd of 16: Venus wins 7-6, 6-2.
Their earliest encounter at a Grand Slam since ’98 sees Venus pull out a tight first-set
tiebreak, then cruise to victory. “Probably she just needs to be a little more consistent,”
explains Venus. “She has every shot. When she comes to the net, her volleys are quite
good. Even in practice, she gets so many volleys. It's pretty deceptive. Like her coverage at
the net, you think she's not going to get it, but she does. She definitely is on the verge of
more great things.”
*Bangalore 2008 semifinals: Serena wins 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.
Facing each other for the first time in nearly three years, Serena ekes out a third-set
tiebreak.
*Wimbledon 2008 final: Venus wins 7-5, 6-4.
Venus claims her fifth title on the grass courts of the All England Club. It remains her last
Grand Slam title. “Five titles! Just five titles! It's the first thing that popped into my head,”
said Venus. “[But] at no point am I ever able to forget that it's Serena, because I have the
ultimate respect for her game and I have a lot of respect for her serve. If I was playing
anyone else, I wouldn't have to face what I had to face today, so it's impossible to forget.”
*US Open 2008 quarterfinal: Serena wins 7-6, 7-6.
It will be remembered as the most competitive matchup between the sisters in Flushing
Meadows, one that sees Serena pull through in a pair of tight tiebreaks. “I think Venus has
gotten a lot better with fooling me. She has an incredible second serve that I wasn't
expecting at all. It was just really throwing me off, so it took me a while to get used to it,”
observes Serena.
*WTA Championships 2008 round-robin: Venus wins 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.
Venus caps her round-robin victory at the year-end championships with a bagel, the first
shutout set in their historic head-to-head series. “It wasn't the happiest match,” laments
Venus. “There's nothing I can do. I think she just has to go through it, and figure out in her
head what went wrong in the match. I think she'll just take some time and come out even
stronger.”
*Dubai 2009 semifinals: Venus wins 6-1, 2-6, 7-6.
Venus jumps into 2009 with a thrilling three-setter in Dubaithe second straight time
they’ve gone the distance. The quality of the sister-sister rivalry has perhaps never been
higher.
*Miami 2009 semifinals: Serena wins 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Advancing to her seventh Miami final, Serena takes yet another three-set matchup
between the Williams sisters, although ankle and quad injuries would cost her in a one-
sided final against Victoria Azarenka. “I'm excited because I was thinking that I would love
to remain No. 1, so I was really excited about that,” says Serena. “I think I was more
happy about that than winning the match.”
*Wimbledon 2009 final: Serena wins 7-6, 6-2.
“I didn't think about Venus at all today,” insists Serena. “I just saw her as an opponent.
After the first set, I looked on the side of the court at the stats, and it was, like, ‘Williams,
Williams.’ I couldn't figure out which was which.” Claiming her first Wimbledon title in six
years, Serena claims the all-American, all-Williams final on the Fourth of July, the 11th
Grand Slam title of her career.
*WTA Championships 2009 round-robin: Serena wins 5-7, 6-4, 7-6.
Serena saves a match point in the first of two meetings at the ’09 WTA year-ender. “I just
kept saying, ‘I want to end this year No. 1, so I better lift up the level of my game,’” she
says.
*WTA Championships 2009 final: Serena wins 6-2, 7-6.
Her fourth straight win over Venus gives Serena the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships
title and secures the year-end No. 1 ranking. She now leads the career head-to-head, 13-
10. “Venus, she was getting every ball back. I was running down a lot of balls, too. We were
just doing the best that we could do. It was high-quality tennis.”
*Charleston 2013 semifinal: Serena wins 6-1, 6-2.
Despite coming out on the losing end of their first on-court encounter in four years, Venus
says of her sister, “It’s great to see her at Number One and just fulfilling every dream.”
*Canadian Masters 2014 semifinal: Venus wins .6-7, 6-2, 6-3
Venus, 34, scores her first win over her sister in more than five years, returning to the Top
20 after three seasons of injury and illness. “What's so unique about the situation is that
we're both very good players. Typically, you may have some siblings, one is quite good, one
is not as good, so you kind of know what the result is, or the one that's better knows they're going to win. We both know when we walk out there, it's not like you're guaranteed a win.”
*Wimbledon 2015 Rd of 16: Serena wins 6-4, 6-3.
Following a straight-sets decision over Venus, world No. 1 Serena asserts, “It’s never easy
to play someone you love and care about. You just play for the competition and enjoy the
moment.”
*US Open 2015 quarterfinals: Serena wins 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
Streaking toward the calendar-year Grand Slam, Serena prevails in three sets, only to fall to unheralded and unseeded Italian Robert Vinci in the semis. “I will always be the older sister. That's never going to change,” says Venus. “We have always taken care of each other, but that also goes for the rest of my family and other sisters. We have always taken care of each other no matter what.”
*Australian Open 2017 final: Serena wins 6-4, 6-4.
Serena surpasses Steffi Graf as the Open Era’s all-time Slam queen, and now holds 23
major titles. “It's such a great feeling to have 23,” says Serena, who also secures the No. 1
ranking. “I've been chasing it for a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had
an opportunity to get there, and I'm here. It's a great feeling. My first Grand Slam started
here, and getting to 23 here, playing Venus, it's stuff that legends are made of. I couldn't
have written a better story.”
*Indian Wells 2018 Rd of 32: Venus wins 6-3, 6-4.
Playing her first tournament since giving birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Serena falls in straight sets. It’s their earliest confrontation since meeting in the second round of the 1998
Australian Open. “She's going to be speeding back to the seedings and to winning
tournaments sooner than later,” says Venus.
*2018 US Open third round: Who wins, Serena or Venus?
...................................
Caption: The Williams sisters, Serena (left),
Interestingly, it will be the sixth time the Williams sisters will face each other at Flushing Meadows, USOpen.org looks back on a rivalry like no other.
Here is the recap of the previous meetings between the two sisters with Serena leading her elder sister, Venus 17-12.
*Australian Open 1998 Rd of 64: Venus wins 7-6, 6-1.
A singular sibling rivalry is born in Melbourne, with a 17-year-old Venus claiming the somewhat awkward first-time all-in-the-family matchup between loving sisters. “If I had to lose in the second round, no better than to Venus,” says Serena, who was 16 at the time.
“I tried to keep thinking of her as someone else, but I guess Venus has a little more
experience than me.”
*Rome 1998 quarterfinals: Venus wins 6-4, 6-2.
Playing the very first clay-court tournament of her career, Serena struggles to find her footing in a straight-sets loss to Venus.
*Miami 1999 final: Venus wins 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Venus remains undefeated in her head-to-heads against little sis, claiming their first-ever meeting in a final in three hard-fought sets. “Serena wanted to win this title. She always wants to win,” said Venus. “That's her personality.”
*Grand Slam Cup 1999 final: Serena wins 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
On the heels of becoming the first Williams to claim a Grand Slam trophy (1999 US Open),
Serena gets her first win over Venus, the event’s defending champion. “I've never actually beat Venus,” says a surprised Serena. “I didn't know how it feels. It's actually kind of tough to take this win. I actually have had a win over everyone in the Top 10. I never had a win over Venus.”
*Wimbledon 2000 semifinals: Venus wins 6-2, 7-6.
Venus upsets her favored sister en route to her first Grand Slam title. They would later team up for the doubles title and, later that summer, Olympic gold. “I know Serena lost,” Venus tells reporters. “She's a real competitor, probably even more than what I am as far as when it comes to losing. She hates to lose. That really hurts her deep.”
*US Open 2001 final: Venus wins 6-2, 6-4.
The highly-anticipated US Open final — the first major final contested between sisters in the Open Era and the first prime-time women’s final — is a somewhat anticlimactic one, as Venus cruises to an easy win. “This is our first Grand Slam final together, and really that's the way we'd like it to be,” said Venus. “Then both of us win in a way. I just hate to see Serena lose — even against me. I think that's the harder part. If anything, it would be easier for her to beat me. Then I'd maybe be happier.”
*Miami 2002 semifinals: Serena wins 6-2, 6-2.
Venus came into the semis riding a 22-match win streak, but it was Serena who would walk off with the trophy, her first win over the elder Williams since 1999. “This definitely is a very big milestone for me and all the younger sisters and brothers out there,” quips Serena. “This is just one of many. This just sets us as a great rivalry, for sure.”
*French Open 2002 final: Serena wins 7-5, 6-3.
Venus and Serena, clinching the Nos. 1-2 spots in the rankings, respectively, just as their father had predicted, face off in the Roland Garros final, with Serena claiming her first Slam crown in three years.
*Wimbledon 2002 final: Serena wins 7-6, 6-3.
In the second of three major finals contested between the Williamses in ’02, Serena raises her first ironically-titled Venus Rosewater Dish and leapfrogs her sore-shouldered sister to claim the world No. 1. “My dad always said that one day we'd be playing in the finals of Wimbledon, in the finals of the US Open, just the big ones,” Serena reflected. “And here we were 10, 15 years later. It's really amazing if you think about it because my dad and my mum, it's hard to get one champion, but now he has two.”
*US Open 2002 final: Serena wins 6-4, 6-3.
If their first US Open final came off as somewhat of a dud, this one saw a dazzling display of tennis, the Puma catsuit-sporting Serena pulling even in the family head-to-head at 5-all.
“If anything, I prefer to play Venus because that means that we have reached our maximum potential and that we'll both go home winners,” says Serena. “I always want to ee Venus do well. I never want to see Venus lose. For me, I'm happy to play her in the final.”
*Australian Open 2003 final: Serena wins 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Lil' sis puts the finishing touches on the “Serena Slam,” becoming the first player since Steffi Graf in 1995 to hold all four major titles at the same time. “I wouldn't say I'm more mentally tough than Venus,” she says. “Most of my ideas and everything I actually get from her. Most of my fight and courage I've gotten from Venus.”
*Wimbledon 2003 final: Serena wins 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
With her sister nursing an abdominal injury, Serena pulls it out in three in this rematch of
the ’02 SW19 final. On the awkwardness of facing her sister, Serena said, “I was just telling
myself, "This is Wimbledon. God knows if I would get this opportunity again.' I just kept
telling myself that. I think if anything, I fought harder.”
*Miami 2005 quarterfinals: Venus wins 6-1, 7-6.
In their first meeting outside of a final in three years, Venus gets back on the winning side.
“We’ve played some huge matches,” says Venus. “This one definitely is a highlight.” After
falling behind 5-0 in the opening set, Serena smashes her racquet. “Her racquet is actually
fragile,” adds Venus. “It's powerful but fragile. Mine is not fragile, so I can tap mine a bit
harder. But hers goes no matter what. She is definitely a little bit more fiery than I am. I
kind of keep an even keel. It's just the way I am.
*US Open 2005 Rd of 16: Venus wins 7-6, 6-2.
Their earliest encounter at a Grand Slam since ’98 sees Venus pull out a tight first-set
tiebreak, then cruise to victory. “Probably she just needs to be a little more consistent,”
explains Venus. “She has every shot. When she comes to the net, her volleys are quite
good. Even in practice, she gets so many volleys. It's pretty deceptive. Like her coverage at
the net, you think she's not going to get it, but she does. She definitely is on the verge of
more great things.”
*Bangalore 2008 semifinals: Serena wins 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.
Facing each other for the first time in nearly three years, Serena ekes out a third-set
tiebreak.
*Wimbledon 2008 final: Venus wins 7-5, 6-4.
Venus claims her fifth title on the grass courts of the All England Club. It remains her last
Grand Slam title. “Five titles! Just five titles! It's the first thing that popped into my head,”
said Venus. “[But] at no point am I ever able to forget that it's Serena, because I have the
ultimate respect for her game and I have a lot of respect for her serve. If I was playing
anyone else, I wouldn't have to face what I had to face today, so it's impossible to forget.”
*US Open 2008 quarterfinal: Serena wins 7-6, 7-6.
It will be remembered as the most competitive matchup between the sisters in Flushing
Meadows, one that sees Serena pull through in a pair of tight tiebreaks. “I think Venus has
gotten a lot better with fooling me. She has an incredible second serve that I wasn't
expecting at all. It was just really throwing me off, so it took me a while to get used to it,”
observes Serena.
*WTA Championships 2008 round-robin: Venus wins 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.
Venus caps her round-robin victory at the year-end championships with a bagel, the first
shutout set in their historic head-to-head series. “It wasn't the happiest match,” laments
Venus. “There's nothing I can do. I think she just has to go through it, and figure out in her
head what went wrong in the match. I think she'll just take some time and come out even
stronger.”
*Dubai 2009 semifinals: Venus wins 6-1, 2-6, 7-6.
Venus jumps into 2009 with a thrilling three-setter in Dubaithe second straight time
they’ve gone the distance. The quality of the sister-sister rivalry has perhaps never been
higher.
*Miami 2009 semifinals: Serena wins 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Advancing to her seventh Miami final, Serena takes yet another three-set matchup
between the Williams sisters, although ankle and quad injuries would cost her in a one-
sided final against Victoria Azarenka. “I'm excited because I was thinking that I would love
to remain No. 1, so I was really excited about that,” says Serena. “I think I was more
happy about that than winning the match.”
*Wimbledon 2009 final: Serena wins 7-6, 6-2.
“I didn't think about Venus at all today,” insists Serena. “I just saw her as an opponent.
After the first set, I looked on the side of the court at the stats, and it was, like, ‘Williams,
Williams.’ I couldn't figure out which was which.” Claiming her first Wimbledon title in six
years, Serena claims the all-American, all-Williams final on the Fourth of July, the 11th
Grand Slam title of her career.
*WTA Championships 2009 round-robin: Serena wins 5-7, 6-4, 7-6.
Serena saves a match point in the first of two meetings at the ’09 WTA year-ender. “I just
kept saying, ‘I want to end this year No. 1, so I better lift up the level of my game,’” she
says.
*WTA Championships 2009 final: Serena wins 6-2, 7-6.
Her fourth straight win over Venus gives Serena the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships
title and secures the year-end No. 1 ranking. She now leads the career head-to-head, 13-
10. “Venus, she was getting every ball back. I was running down a lot of balls, too. We were
just doing the best that we could do. It was high-quality tennis.”
*Charleston 2013 semifinal: Serena wins 6-1, 6-2.
Despite coming out on the losing end of their first on-court encounter in four years, Venus
says of her sister, “It’s great to see her at Number One and just fulfilling every dream.”
*Canadian Masters 2014 semifinal: Venus wins .6-7, 6-2, 6-3
Venus, 34, scores her first win over her sister in more than five years, returning to the Top
20 after three seasons of injury and illness. “What's so unique about the situation is that
we're both very good players. Typically, you may have some siblings, one is quite good, one
is not as good, so you kind of know what the result is, or the one that's better knows they're going to win. We both know when we walk out there, it's not like you're guaranteed a win.”
*Wimbledon 2015 Rd of 16: Serena wins 6-4, 6-3.
Following a straight-sets decision over Venus, world No. 1 Serena asserts, “It’s never easy
to play someone you love and care about. You just play for the competition and enjoy the
moment.”
*US Open 2015 quarterfinals: Serena wins 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
Streaking toward the calendar-year Grand Slam, Serena prevails in three sets, only to fall to unheralded and unseeded Italian Robert Vinci in the semis. “I will always be the older sister. That's never going to change,” says Venus. “We have always taken care of each other, but that also goes for the rest of my family and other sisters. We have always taken care of each other no matter what.”
*Australian Open 2017 final: Serena wins 6-4, 6-4.
Serena surpasses Steffi Graf as the Open Era’s all-time Slam queen, and now holds 23
major titles. “It's such a great feeling to have 23,” says Serena, who also secures the No. 1
ranking. “I've been chasing it for a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had
an opportunity to get there, and I'm here. It's a great feeling. My first Grand Slam started
here, and getting to 23 here, playing Venus, it's stuff that legends are made of. I couldn't
have written a better story.”
*Indian Wells 2018 Rd of 32: Venus wins 6-3, 6-4.
Playing her first tournament since giving birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Serena falls in straight sets. It’s their earliest confrontation since meeting in the second round of the 1998
Australian Open. “She's going to be speeding back to the seedings and to winning
*2018 US Open third round: Who wins, Serena or Venus?
...................................
Caption: The Williams sisters, Serena (left),
Monday, 13 August 2018
Monday, 23 July 2018
Maiden Azimuth Shipping Lines tennis tournament ends in Lagos
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.
Friday, 13 July 2018
Wimbledon 2018: Anderson for final, beats Isner in record 6 hrs, 35 mins
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.
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.
Thursday, 12 July 2018
Lennox Lewis-Klitschko WBC exhibition bout not certain--Lewis camp
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.
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.
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Meet John Wright, who plays tennis at 93
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
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