CLIFFORD Enosoregbe is leading other Nigerian men's professional tennis players in the rankings released by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
The Team Civil Defence player is ranked 1168 in the latest world rankings in the men's singles.
Enosoregbe, who is ranked number one is followed by Spain-based Sylvester Emmanuel on the ladder as he is ranked 1170 and number two on the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) rankings.
Nigeria's number three, Thomas Otu occupies the 1577 in the world as Edward Christopher and Mohammed Mohammed are jointly ranked 1781 in the world and fourth on the NTF rankings.
The trio of Henry Atseye, Christian Paul and Joseph Imeh are jointly ranked 1963 and joint sixth on the NTF rankings.
Meanwhile, Sylvester Emmanuel fondly called MAJOR by his admirers is the only Nigerian player ranked by ATP in the men’s doubles. Sylvester who enjoys the sponsorship of Rainoil in Spain is ranked 897 in the World, which serves as his personal best.
However, no player of Nigerian heritage is ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in the women’s singles category at the time of this publication.
Though, Melissa Ifidzhen born of Nigerian dad and Russian mum is currently ranked World No. 1285 in the women’s doubles category.
In the junior cadre, Adetayo Adetunji shot into the top 400 International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior tennis players in the world.
In the rankings released by the ITF website on Monday, September 18, Adetunji moved up by 155 places to 369 in the world and number 10 in Africa, a feat which was occasioned by her success at the just-ended Junior ITF Circuit championship.
Oyinlomo Quadri, who was in the World’s top 400 last year, has dropped 133 places from No. 500 to No. 633 in the World.................
National and ATP rankings of Nigerian players
*1. Clifford Enosoregbe 1168
*2. Sylvester Emmanuel 1170
*3. Thomas Otu 1577
*4. Edward Christopher 1781
*4. Mohammed Mohammed 1781
*6. Henry Atseye 1963
*6. Christian Paul 1963
*6. Joseph Imeh 1963
Caption: Clifford Enosoregbe (left), after a domestic game against Onyeka Mbanu.
TEAM Civil Defence at the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin, over the weekend trounced Team Optiwebb 6-1 in one of the Blue Group fixtures at the ongoing 2017 Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC Tennis League season.
Nonso Madueke gave Team Civil Defence the first victory of the day when he defeated Emmanuel Ikakah 6-1, 6-3 while Abdulmumuni Babalola defeated Uche Okparaoji 6-2, 6-4 in another men's singles game.
Nigeria’s women's number one, Christie Agugbom spanked home girl Ngozi Dirisu 6-0, 6-0 in the ladies singles, while the duo of Abdulmumuni Babalola and Michael Chima nailed the homers' Isaac Emeruwa and Henry John 6-2, 6-4 in the men’s doubles to wrap up the victory on the first day.
The only win recorded by the hosts came through Uche Oparaoji the following day in the reverse men's singles which ended in scratch.
His opponent, Nonso Madueke who won the first set 7-5 could not finish the second set due to ill-health though with Oparaoji leading 5-2.
However, former national champion, Clifford Enosorogbe gave the visitors another win in the second reverse men's singles as he beat Isaac Emeruwa 6-1, 6-0.
The the 2015 inaugural winners rounded off the fixture with victory in the mixed doubles when the pair of Babalola and Agugbom hammered Optiwebb’s pair of Oluchi Ozurumba and Henry John 6-3, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Team Civil Defence are third on the table behind Team Kalotari also with three points, as Team Muller already with four points have landed in the semi-final of the competition.
Caption: Abdulmumuni Babalola, inspires Team Civil Defence to another victory at the ongoing 2017 NCC Tennis League season.
Nigeria's Christopher Bulus failed in his bid to land a major international title over the weekend, following a 0-6, 1-6 loss to Eliakim Coulibaly of Cote d'Ivoire in the final of the ITF U18 Circuit in Togo.
The 16-year-old Aces Tennis Club of Lagos player went into the game with a bright chance as he puts up a commanding display to beat Coulibaly's compatriot, Alex Cyrille Lago 6-1, 6-1 in the semi-final but he endured a battering from the 15-year-old, who hits series of forehand winners in an opening set bagel win.
Bulus' last two meetings with the Ivorian had seen him (Bulus) won the opening set but unlike Coulibaly who clawed back to win on both occasions - including the final of a similar tournament in April - there was no way back for the 2017 CBN Open quarter-finalist as he was puzzled by the dominant and aggressive style of the player who is fast becoming one of the fiercest junior players in Africa since his move in 2015 to the ITF High Performance Centre in Casablanca, Morocco.
The final week begins on Monday and it remained to be seen if Bulus will cap his display with the top prize having placed third in the Benin Leg won by homeboy Delmas N'tcha, who was halted by Coulibaly in the semi-final.
Focus will also be on Oyinlomo Barakat Quadre, left an indelible mark by winning all the three legs last year while she was still on scholarship at the High Performance Centre in Morocco. She lost in the quarter finals in the first two legs although the first leg was won by Nigeria's Adetayo Adetunji.
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Caption:
Nigeria's Christopher Bulus (right) before an international game.
Nigeria’s Christopher Bulus on Friday qualified for the boys' singles final of the 2107 ITF Junior Circuit in Togo with a roller-coaster 6-1, 6-1 win over Alex Lago of Cote d'ivoire.
Bulus reached the semi-finals of the Benin Leg of the point-earning tournament where he lost to eventual winner Delmas N'tcha of Benin Republic and is now a victory away from bagging the crown which could see him rise significantly in the world junior rankings.
Before claiming the scalp of Lago, the 16-year-old's breathless display at the Stade Omnisports which has also saw him defeat Indian Vansh Bhagtani 6-2, 6-2 and Hugo Jardin of France 7-6, 6-4 in the second round and quarter-finals respectively, is expected to fire him up for the final where he will meet the winner of the clash between sixth-seeded Nt'cha and Eliakim Coulibaly, the second seed from Cote d'ivoire.
The Aces Tennis Club of Lagos player, who was a surprise quarter-finalist at this year's CBN Open, has now reached his second final in the circuit in five months having appeared in the championship match in a similar tournament in May in Cote d'ivoire where incidentally, he
lost to Coulibaly 6-1, 5-7, 4-6.
In the girls' singles, there was no respite for title holder, Oyinlomo Barakat Quadri, as she bowed 3-6, 4-6, in the quarter-finals to unseeded Margaux Rouvroy of France. She was beaten at the same stage last week by Indian Bhakti Bawani.
Nigeria's Adetayo Adetunji who won the Benin Leg last weekend is not participating this time. The final week of the tournament featuring about 90 participants from over 25 countries is scheduled to serve-off on Monday.
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Caption:
Nigeria's Adetayo Adetunji, absent at the ongoing tournament in Togo.
SON of Nigerian international, Dele Ayenugba, Daniel, also a goalkeeper has inspired Kwara state team to win the North Central zone of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF Future Eagles U13 zonal championship.
The youngsters from Kwara defeated their counterparts from Nasarawa state in the final decided in Abuja last weekend and Daniel, the son of Ayenugba who won the CAF Champions League back-to-back in 2003 and 2004 as well as the African Super Cup with Enyimba, used the tourney to launch himself as a potential goalkeeper.
Eight players from Kwara state teams, three from the U13 and five from the U15 have been selected as part of the squad that will represent the North Central zone at the national finals in Kano.
An elated Daniel speaking after the victory of Kwara's U13 team said his dad now with Hapoel Ashkelon of Israel serves as his inspiration.
"Of course yes, my father is my role model and he has been encouraging
me to play football.
"He corrects my mistakes anytime he watched me either during a match or a training session and he always buy kits for me. I am happy we won this competition and I am hoping to be a better goalkeeper so that I can also play outside the country like my dad," the 10-year-old pupil of Stephen Fountain Primary School, Ilorin, told bunmiblair.blogspot.com.ng.
Meanwhile, the NFF Future Eagles U13 national finals comprising all the six geo-political zones in the country hold from October 13 to 15 in Kano.
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Caption: Daniel Ayenugba (right) with his counterpart from Nasarawa state, David Lucky after their Future Eagles U13 zonal final in Abuja.
TEAM Oluyole last weekend at the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin, suffered their third straight defeat at the ongoing 2017Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC Tennis League.
The Ibadan team were humiliated 1-6 by Team Optiweb in what served as
the first win of the season by the Ilorin-based side in the Blue group.
Uche Okparaoji gave Team Optiweb their first victory on Saturday, September 9 as he triumphed over Adewale Samson in the men's singles.
It was Samson who stunned the home boy in the first set 6-3, but was
unable to maintain the tempo as he lost 2-6 in the second set and also 4-6 in the final set.
The visitors however, rose to the occasion in the second game as Sunday Okechukwu outplayed home boy, Isaac Emeruwa in a fixture which also dragged to three sets.
Okechukwu won the first set 6-4, but was rattled in the second set 2-6, while 'Tsonga' as he is fondly called, by his admirers regained his composure to win the third set 6-1.
It turned out to be the only victory by Team Oluyole in the match day three fixture as they lost the subsequent five games.
Interestingly, Okechukwu remains the only who had won a singles game so far from Team Oluyole as he had in the season's opener defeated George Abamu of Team VGC Lions in Ibadan also by two sets to one.
Team Optiweb in the third game of the day restored lead through Oluchi Ozurumba who outplayed Colleen Orji in the women's singles 6-3, 6-3.
The homers consolidated through the men's doubles as the duo of Henry John and Kareem Badmus hammered Kunle Bamidele and Ganiyu Salami of Team Oluyole 6-2, 6-1 to wrap up the day on 3-1 advantage.
The woes of the visitors however, continued the following day {Sunday, September 10} as Sunday Okechukwu this time in the reverse men's singles was battered by Kareem Badmus 6-1, 6-2.
The result sealed Team Optiweb's victory as they had picked up the maximum four wins in the seven-game fixture.
Ismaila Adesina also of Team Oluyole lost to Uche Okparaoji 6-1, 6-4 in another reverse men's singles.
Henry John and Oluchi Ozurumba recorded Team Optiweb's last victory in the fixture as they spanked the duo of veteran, Wasiu Ibrahim and Colleen Orji 6-2, 6-3 in the mixed doubles.
Meanwhile, Team Muller of Lagos maintained 100 per cent winning record in the Blue group as they recorded a hard fought 4-3 victory in Port Harcourt over hosts, Team Kalotari to sit atop the ladder with three points.
Also, Team Civil Defence inspired by veteran Abdulmumuni Babalola maintained their second position on the table as they hammered hosts Team VGC Lions of Lagos 7-0 at their VGC Club Lekki tennis courts.
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Caption: VGC Lions' Martins Abamu in action.
*Plateau United 2 Enugu Rangers 0
Emeka Umeh (25th min)
Benjamin Turba (89th min)
*IfeanyiUbah 1 Lobi Stars 1
Anthony Okpotu -Lobi (24th min)
Samuel Ayorinde -I/Ubah (68th min)
*Abia Warriors 4 Rivers Utd 1
Guy Keumian-Rivers Utd
Ndifreke Effiong -Abia (2 goals)
Stanley Nwuju -Abia
Moses Onduemeke -Abia
*Akwa United 3 Kano Pillars 0
Musa Newman
Christian Pyagbara
Michael Ibeh
*El-Kanemi 2 MFM, Lagos 1
Ibrahim Babangida - El-Kanemi (6th min)
Stanley Okorom - MFM (37th min)
Yahuza Bala -El-Kanemi (+92th min)
*Enyimba 1 Katsina United 0
Stephen Chukwude (10th min)
*Gombe United 0 Wikki Tourists 1
Chigozie Maurice (Own goal, 23rd min)
*Nasarawa Utd 2 ABS, Ilorin 1
Seun Sogbeso -Nasarawa (53rd min)
Samuel Oyedeji -ABS (75th min)
Seun Sogbeso -Nasarawa (89th min)
*Niger Tornadoes 2 Shooting Stars 0
Babawo Ibrahim (12th min)
Ebenezer Odeyemi (60th min)
*Remo Stars 0 Sunshine Stars 1
Sikiru Alimi (65th min)
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HIGHLIGHTS:
*Plateau United clinch 2017 NPFL title with 66 points
*Anthony Okpotu of Lobi Stars wins Golden Boot Award with 19 goals
*Shooting Stars, ABS, Gombe United, Remo Stars relegated
Caption:
Anthony Okpotu, his goal against FC IfeanyiUbah earns him the Golden Boot award having finished the season with 19 goals, one ahead of Stephen Odey of MFM FC of Lagos now with FC Zurich.
