Fast-rising national tennis player, Joseph Imeh has admitted he was truly relieved to win his first ever major title, and declared that he hopes it will mark the beginning of many more to come.
Sports247.ng reports that Imeh was standing tall on Saturday night, as he ended his long wait for a major national title by cornering the 2nd Rainoil Open Tennis Championship title with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Henry Atseye at Ikoyi Club.
The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) top-ranked player lost in the final of four major tournaments before his maiden title, which he ignited with love in his first three serves.
However, Atseye, who had made a comeback to defeat Abdulmumini Babalola and Sylvester Emmanuel in the quarterfinals and semifinals, responded by winning his first three games as the game got hotter.
Imeh, who had lost four finals in a row the third of which was against Atseye in the inaugural edition held at the Lagos Country Club, then went 4-3 up before getting a crucial break at 5-3.
He rounded off the set with a drop shot which drew resounding applause from the tennis fans which include Ikoyi Club Chairman Tunde Akinleye, who thronged the venue of the nine-day event.
The former South Africa-based junior international rounded off 6-2, and got N500, 000 for his conquest, while Atseye went home with N250, 000.
In the women’s singles, Abuja-based Blessing Samuel came back from the dead as she outlasted Christie Agugbom, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 to receive the N400, 000 champion’s prize while the losing finalist got N200, 000.
