VEMP: Adeleye,Yusuf Crowned Men’s Doubles Champions

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

Daniel Adeleye and Abubakar Yusuf claimed the Men’s Doubles title at the ongoing VEMP National Open Tennis Championship in Abuja, edging out the pair of Canice Abua and Musa Mohammed in a thrilling final on Friday.

 

The match, played at the National Tennis Centre, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, ended 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 in favor of Adeleye and Yusuf, who showed resilience and mental strength to seal victory after being pushed to the limit by their opponents.

Adeleye and Yusuf started strong, taking the first set 6-3, but Abua and Mohammed bounced back to claim the second set 6-4. The deciding set saw both teams battle fiercely before Adeleye and Yusuf held their nerve to win the match tiebreak 10-8.

 

 

Road to Victory

Round of 16: Defeated Endurance Ehiegiamusoe/Saidu Sani-Inabo 6-1, 6-2

Quarterfinals: Beat Yahaya Sani-Inabo/Jeremiah Benjamin 6-3, 3-1 (Rtd)

Semifinals: Overcame Lucky Danjuma/Mubarak Ganiyu 6-1, 7-6(5)

Their opponents, Abua and Mohammed, had a strong run to the final as well:

Round of 16: Beat Terry Akuchu/Charles Uwandu 6-1, 6-1

Quarterfinals: Defeated Gbolahon Olawale/Imole Adisa 6-2, 6-1

Semifinals: Edged Mathew Abamu/Emmanuel Michael 7-5, 2-6, 10-5

 

Adeleye Reacts

Speaking after the match, Adeleye, who hails from Ekiti State, expressed delight at the victory:

“I congratulate myself and my partner for this strong performance. We executed our game plan perfectly. I wasn’t even able to train before coming due to illness, so this win means a lot. Now, I’ll focus on the singles final tomorrow and hope to lift another trophy.”

Women’s Singles: Khadijat Mohammed on Fire

In the women’s singles category, Khadijat Mohammed continued her impressive run, defeating Mary Udofa 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals to book a final clash with Etoro Bassey.

 

Her path to the final:

Round of 32: Defeated Jesutoyosi Adeusi 6-2, 6-3

Round of 16: Beat Loveth Ogah 6-2, 6-2

Quarterfinals: Overcame Success Ogunjobi 6-4, 6-3

Semifinals: Defeated Mary Udofa 6-0, 6-3

Mohammed has displayed consistency, grit, and focus, and her clash with Bassey promises to be a standout final.

Men’s Singles Final Set

Daniel Adeleye will also feature in the men’s singles final after coming from behind to defeat Canice Abua 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinals. He previously beat:

Basit Ajao 6-1, 6-4

Joseph Jimoh 6-3, 6-3

Mubarak Ganiyu 6-2, 6-1

Abua’s journey included wins over Abubakar Yusuf (6-2, 6-4), Michael Chima (6-1, 6-3), and Yahaya Sani-Inabo (6-0, 3-6, 6-3).

Lucky Danjuma also reached the final with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Uche Oparaji, after earlier victories against:

Oche Adehi 6-3, 6-4

Paul Egena 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

Mevi Irimiya 6-2, 2-1 (Rtd)

 

About the Tournament

The VEMP National Open Tennis Championship, organized by the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) and sponsored by its President Ifedayo Akindoju, began on July 4 and will end on July 12.

Featuring 192 players, the tournament includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles categories, and continues to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing top tennis talents in Nigeria.