The 14-year-old Quadri is showing the kind of form that saw her record an unprecedented three-straight ITF Circuit wins in 2016, having upturned a 5-0 first set deficit to upset tournament’s number eight seed Auertin Sarra of Tunisia in the second round, triumphing 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday.
Browsing: Oyinlomo Quadri
It means the country is guaranteed a place in the finals of the two categories of the tournament it has emerged as overall winners since 2012.
Nigeria is aiming for a record-extending seventh consecutive overall winners title at the tournament which will draw to a close on January 17 featuring 12 countries.
The first leg (Futures 4) promises to be real battles for Nigerian players as more of the local players fought their ways from the qualifying series to the Main Draws.
However, there was a big blow for the team, which topped the overall medals table at the Zonal Championship held in January in Lome, Togo, with star player, Oyinlomo Quadri, forced out of the week-long tournament due to injury sustained in a tournament in Morocco on Thursday
The clash of the two youngsters is the second straight final meeting, with Quadri triumphing 6-3, 6-3 in Abuja last year
The performance of the country’s players is rewarded with qualifications into the main draw, which serves off on Monday
All eyes would be on Team Nigeria’s captain, Oyinlomo Quadri, as she returns to the continent following her glorious campaign in 2016 highlighted by her winning of an unprecedented three-straight ITF 16 and under junior circuit titles
The Morocco-based Quadri, winner of an unprecedented three singles titles at the recently-held world circuits in Benin Republic and Togo, surprisingly succumbed 6-3, 6-2 to Sneha Kotecha of Kenya in her opening match on Wednesday
The players, according to the ITF, were selected based on their performances at the 2016 ITF/CAT West and Central Africa Tennis Championship which was held in January in Abuja
Nigeria junior tennis coach, Mohammed Ubale, disclosed that the camping will hold from January 2 to 8, after which the final list of 24 players will be selected for the championship, which will feature 12&U, 14&U and 16&U categories
The Nigerian tennis sensation, who is on a year-long ITF scholarship in Morocco – a reward for her great performance throughout the outgoing year, which saw her win no fewer than three West and Central African Circuit titles – fell to her more exposed South African counterpart