By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
Abubakar Yusuf pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament on Saturday, defeating Nigeria’s top-ranked player, Canice Abua, 7-5, 6-1 to win the men’s singles title as the sixth DavNotch National Tennis Open came to a thrilling close.
The victory ended Yusuf’s six-year losing streak against Abua and capped an impressive run in one of Nigeria’s biggest domestic tennis championships.
“I was 100 per cent confident because if my confidence dropped even by one per cent, I knew he would take advantage of it and beat me,” Yusuf said after the victory.
The new champion said memories of last year’s painful defeat to Abua helped him stay composed during a crucial stage of the match.
“At 4-4, when I was serving, I remembered our match in Benue where I was leading and still lost. This time, I told myself to stay focused,” he said.
Yusuf described the victory as particularly satisfying after years of defeats to the country’s number one player.
“He has been beating me for the past six years, but today I said it was a do-or-die affair. I capitalised on my advantages and I was able to beat him.”
He added that winning the title has boosted his hopes of earning a place in Nigeria’s Davis Cup team later this year.
In the women’s singles final, Success Ogunjobi fought back from a set down to defeat Etoro Bassey 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 and claim the title.
Ogunjobi said the win was especially emotional after losing to Bassey just a week earlier.
“I feel excited because I lost to the same person last week. I’m happy I was able to come back and win today,” she said.
In the doubles events, Canice Abua and Musa Mohammed defeated Matthew Abamu and Michael Emmanuel 7-6(0), 7-5 to win the men’s title, while Goodnews Aina and Success Ogunjobi beat Khadijat Mohammed and Mary Udofa 6-4, 7-6(1) to lift the women’s doubles trophy.
Managing Director of DavNotch Nigeria Limited, Emmanuel Ochei, praised the standard of competition and announced an immediate increase in prize money.
The men’s singles champion will now receive ₦1 million, up from ₦500,000, while the women’s winner will earn ₦800,000.
“The future is now. We are increasing the prize money immediately. This is a starting point, and we want to see more competitive tennis,” Ochei said.
He reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to developing Nigerian tennis and producing players capable of competing on the global stage.
Ochei also commended the Nigeria Tennis Federation for successfully organising the championship and praised former federation president Dayo Akindoju for laying the foundation for the tournament.
The sixth edition of the DavNotch National Tennis Open ended with thrilling finals, higher prize money and renewed optimism for the future of tennis in Nigeria.
