Abuja’s Chukwudubem Amassiani has emerged as a young tennis star to watch, as he breezed through the round-robin groups in Boys 12 and 14s to qualify for the two semi-finals at the ongoing CBN Junior Tennis Championships.
Amassiani, the 12 and Under champion in the junior circuit, was given the opportunity to play in one age group, a strategy used by the International Tennis Academy (ITA), the organizer of the tournament, to fast-track the development of top juniors.
Amassiani will have for his opponent in the semi-final Boys 14s, Seyi Ogunsakin, who was also given a slot in the 16s, but did not make it past the group stage.
The winner of that match will face off in the second semi-final between top seed David Edwards, who has just returned from the African Junior Championship in Togo, and Sulaimon Samod of the host club.
The Iorlumun sisters, Eunice and Mary, who emerged top of the group, were coincidentally drawn to meet in the Girls 16s semi-final. The other semi-final will feature Ondo’s Alice Paul against Akwa Ibom’s Etioro Bassey.
In the meantime, nine-year-old Karina Opuene from Bayelsa State has been the star attraction of the Girls 12 event, as she showed tremendous skill and determination to win two matches in the group, one of which was a decisive 6-0 trashing. Barakat Ganiyu from Oyo State.
The tournament, held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, is scheduled to end tomorrow.