Nigerian players exit Tombim Abuja Open

Nigeria finally bowed out of the 3rd Tombim Abuja Open on Wednesday as the duo of Clifford Enosoregbe and Thomas Otu were knocked out in the second round of the ITF Pro Circuit tournament.

Enosoregbe, who defeated Britain’s Joe Cooper in the first round, was outplayed by Benjamin Lock; the seventh seed from Zimbabwe coasting to a 6-2, 6-1 triumph while another Zimbabwean, Takanyi Garaganga proved too much a task for wildcard beneficiary Otu by sealing a 6-2, 6-2 win.

Enosoregbe was Nigeria’s best performer at the 2016 Lagos Governor’s Cup, a tournament which ranked same as the Tombim Open – where he reached the quarterfinals and the second round in the two legs – and he conceded a break to the world no 457 in the fourth game of the first set which he eventually lost 6-2 closing the set on a double fault.
Though the Nigerian had six aces against Lock’s one, his nine double faults on Centre Court makes it a match to forget.

“I’m very disappointed because I played very poorly. I was very optimistic going into the match but everything just went against me,” Enosoregbe, ranked world no 1203, said.
Seven Nigerians made it to the main draw of which Enosoregbe and Otu progressed to the second round.

In other matches, Italian third seed, Alessandro Bega, who defeated Nigeria’s Sylvester Emmanuel in the first round, was put to a strenuous test by Frenchman Thomas Setodji before he scrapped through with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 while Canadian second seed, Brayden Schnur defeated Mark Fynn of Zimbabwe 6-3, 6-3. Brazilian Fabiano De Paula and Viktor Durasovic of Norway were also triumphant in the second round by beating Sasi Kumar Mukund of India 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 and American Jordan Parker 6-1, 7-6 (0).

They are joined in today’s quarterfinals by Tunisian Moez Echargui, a 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 victor over fourth seed Pedja Krstin of Serbia, and Indian Haadin Bava, who defeated Ivan Marrero Curbelo of Spain 7-6 (2) 6-2.