Udoffa, Jimoh win Zenith Next Gen Masters

Mary Udoffa and Joseph Jimoh, on Sunday, beat the field to become the 2024 singles champions of the Zenith Bank Next Generation Masters Tennis Championship, which final was decided at Ikoyi Club, Lagos.
 
Following a hard-fought title match against Itoro Bassey of the GEUF Academy in Uyo, the Lokoja-based Udoffa rallied to win the tie 10-8.

Udoffa who, like her opponent, was making her second bid for the crown, trailed for most of the match until she squared up at 6-6 in the pro set. Tied again at 8-8 the match was decided by a 10-point tiebreak, which Udoffa won 10- 8.
 

Aina, who had rallied from behind to beat John Peter of Lagos in the semifinals, was out of his depth in the finals trailing 0-4 before getting on the scoreboard.

Jimoh was too solid to allow another comeback and dropped only two more games before sealing his victory.
The tournament, which features the best prospects to become senior champions, has become a stepping stone to stardom at the national level.
 
Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Mr Ifeanyi Ezeokoli, commended the players for the high standard of tennis skills they displayed and urged them not to rest on their oars until they become grand slam champions.
 
Ezeokoli, who is the Group MD of Incel Tourism, like he did last year, gifted the players N500,000.
 
Also speaking at the event, the Director of of International Tennis Academy, organisers of the Masters, Godwin Kienka, said he was very happy with the impact the competition is making in the country’s tennis development.

“This tournament is giving these young boys and girls a lot of confidence to take on and overcome their seniors. Khadijat Mohammed, who won last year, four months later, won the Dala Hard Court Senior Championships in Kano, and Emmanuel Akpan, one of the finalists in the boys category last year, displaced the senior champions at the Davis Cup Group 2 playoffs in Abuja in July and won all his matches against five nations to lift Nigeria into Group 2.

“These results give a lot of credit to our selection process, which is very scientific and objective,” Kienka said.