Nigeria’s Oyinlomo Quadri bounced back in an emphatic fashion on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over top seed, Makayla Loubser of South Africa, to remain on course for a semifinal place at the 2016 ITF/CAT 14 and Under African Junior Masters Tennis Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Morocco-based Quadri, winner of an unprecedented three singles titles at the recently-held world circuits in Benin Republic and Togo, surprisingly succumbed 6-3, 6-2 to Sneha Kotecha of Kenya in her opening match on Wednesday.
However, with an early exit looming large, she fought back to secure her first win in the girl’s Group B.
With a win and a loss record, the 13-year-old faces a must-win situation as she battles Dellen Keinham, another South African, in her last preliminary tie on Friday.
Just as it was on the opening day, Nigeria only managed a win from three matches on Thursday as Michael Osewa and Marylove Edwards lost their matches.
Osewa, the top seed for the boys, was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 by Elyles Marouani of Tunisia, while Edwards suffered a second straight defeat in the week-long invitational tournament to South Africa’s Lara Van Der Merve 6-1, 6-1 to exit the tournament, making her Friday’s clash with Rochelle Pienaar, another South African, academic.
Osewa’s one win and one loss record also means he faces a winner-takes-all clash against Kholwan Montsi of South Africa on Friday.
“Osewa played well; it’s just that the Tunisian boy is more familiar with clay court. He fought back brilliantly in the second set but he was just unlucky in the final set,” Nigeria’s coach Mohammed Ubale submitted.
Sport ITF/CAT African Masters: Quadri upsets South African top seed
