The young guns yesterday showed that they can hold their own against established stars on the opening day of the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium. They may not have claimed all the victories, but their spirited performances and fearless displays won over the crowd, leaving fans enthralled by their promise.

Elizabeth Emelike, Marvelous Joseph, Joshua Samson and Umar Ayoola stepped into the spotlight, facing seasoned opponents with admirable composure. Emelike, unranked and undaunted, rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Slovenia’s Ana Tofant to deliver one of the day’s surprises — a hard-fought 3-2 triumph over world No. 421 in the women’s singles.

Joseph, making his debut, showed grit and determination, rallying from 2-1 down to edge Mustapha Bello 3-2 in his opening group match.

Samson battled valiantly but succumbed 1-3 to Cameroon’s Igor Boulmo, while Ayoola, despite flashes of brilliance, bowed out after two defeats. His fearless play, however, left fans convinced he is a star for the future.

The tournament moves into day two with the battle now for places in the main draw.

Hundreds of players from the qualifying rounds are vying for the eight coveted slots in both the men’s and women’s singles.