Abuja’s Amassiani makes two semifinals at CBN junior tennis tourney

Chukwudubem Amassiani from Abuja has emerged as a young tennis star to watch, as he swept through his round-robin groups in the Boys 12 and 14s to qualify for two semifinals in the on-going CBN Junior Tennis Championship.

Amassiani, the 12 and Under champion on the junior circuit, was given a chance to play up one age group, a strategy used by the International Tennis Academy (ITA), organisers of the tournament, to fast-track the development of top juniors.

Amassiani will have for his opponent in the Boys 14s semifinals, Seyi Ogunsakin, who was also given a slot in the 16s, but could not make it through the group stage.

The winner of that match will play against the winner of the second semifinals between top seed, David Edwards, who just returned from the African Junior Championships in Togo, and Sulaimon Samod from the host club.

The Iorlumun sisters, Eunice and Mary, who emerged top of their groups, have been coincidentally drawn to meet in the semifinals of the Girls 16s. The other semifinal will feature Alice Paul from Ondo against Etioro Bassey from Akwa Ibom.

In the meantime, nine-year-old Karina Opuene from Bayelsa State has been the attraction of the Girls 12 event, as she showed tremendous skill and determination to win two matches in her group, one of which was a decisive 6-0 trashing of Barakat Ganiyu from Oyo State.

The tournament, holding at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, is scheduled to end tomorrow. 

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