.As Babalola Enters Doubles Final
Ebenezer Osamo/Abuja

Candy Idoko and Emmanuel Idoko will light up the Package B Arena of the National Stadium in Abuja when they file out in the semi finals of the ongoing Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA National Tennis Open.
The players, who are neither siblings nor relations, will confront each other for the first time in a competitive match, which promises to be exciting.
The younger Idoko defeated Hamidu Abdullahi, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter final and will seek to show his superb strokes against Candy, who also sent former champion, Henry Atseye packing having led the first set 5-3 before his opponent retired.
In the second semi final pairing, Clifford Enosoregbe, who defeated youngster, Sylvester Emmanuel 7-5, 6-2, will square up against emerging Joseph Imeh, whose quarterfinal match against Moses Michael was a walk over. Michael, who won the recently ended Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Invitational Tournament, travelled to Togo to feature in an ITF Circuit.
In the Women’s Singles, Sarah Adegoke continued her impressive form in the tournament after defeating young Angel McCleod 6-0, 6-2, to set up a clash against former champion, Christie Agugbom, whose 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Loveth Donatus proved her superiority.
Blessing Samuel, who beat Chidinma Chukwu 6-1, 6-2, will tackle Osareimen Airhunwunde in the second semifinal clash.
In the Doubles Final to be decided, the pair of Abdulmumuni Babalola and Taiwo Owolabi will square up against the pair of Candy Idoko and Lawal Shehu while former champions and wild card entrants, Osaro Amadin and Margeret Olagundoye will come up against the Agugbom/Samuel combination.
Meanwhile, eyeonthesports.com can reliably inform that many players have arrived Kano, venue of the Dala Hard Court Tournament, while some others will leave on Saturday for the northern region.
According to the schedule of the event, the preliminary matches of the tournament will commence immediately as players will hustle to get to the money-spinning stage of the championship.
Abubakar Sadiq Tswako believes that it is a good development for Nigerian tennis, but hopes that this trend continues for a very long time.
In a brief chat with our correspondent in Abuja, the youngster noted that; “I really wish that this trend will continue in the country. This is what happens in other countries that I have been to, our tennis has to grow fast”.