Nigeria’s women’s number one player, Oyinlomo Quadre, has retained the Rainoil Tennis Open Championship title as she confirmed her supremacy over rising star, Marylove Edwards.
In the final held at the Clay Court of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos, Quadre after a tight first set proved her mettle to win 6-4, 6-1 to retain the title she won last year.
Quadre who came into the tournament as second seed after about seven months lay-off due to an injury, put her wealth of experience to bear on the game to subdue Edwards who was number seed in the tournament.
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“I’m really happy winning this tournament after coming back from an injury. It was not an easy game because there was a lot of tension, but I played my best game and won against an equally good opponent,” Quadre who took home N500,000 as prize money said.
However, Edwards said she was not disappointed losing to Quadre saying, “it was a very good game and both of us put in our best but the better player won.”
In the men’s singles, Henry Atseye, dusted defending champion and number one seed, Joseph Imeh also by two straight sets of 7/6(7/4), 6/2 to confirm that he remains the master of clay tennis in the country.
An elated Atseye who went home with N600,000 as prize money lauded Rainoil for supporting tennis in the country, saying that the Rainoil Tennis Open offers Nigerian players the opportunity to get exposed to clay tennis.
Mathew Abamu and Michael Chima defeated Henry Atseye and Nnoso Madueke to win the men’s doubles while Omolayo Bamidele paired Oyinlomo Quadre to win the women’s doubles.
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Meanwhile, Group Managing Director of Rainoil, Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, in his remarks lauded the Lagos Country Club for successful hosting of the competition.
“Rainoil is proud to be associated with tennis. I’m passionate about the game and this is our own effort at developing tennis in the country.
“We believe that tennis is a sport which can make our youths become self reliant and I’m encouraging our youths to embrace tennis as they stand to gain a lot from it,” Gabriel said.