By VIVIAN AHANMISI

Nigerian junior tennis players are currently gaining valuable international exposure at the ongoing ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 tournament in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the second leg of the competition commenced on Monday Nov. 9 , to end on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Lagos Countey Club in Ikeja.

The competition allows the youngsters to earn international ranking points, as well as gain exposure to various playing styles.

It also measure their abilities against foreign opponents, without the additional cost of traveling abroad

The tournament organised by the Tiger Tennis Foundation, has players from nine countries participating, alongside a large contingent of Nigerian players.

It features boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles events, giving young players the opportunity to test their abilities against different opponents.

The competition continued on Wednesday, with players competing in various singles matches, as the second leg progressed.

Some Nigerian players said competing against foreign opponents had given them valuable experience and exposure to different playing styles.

They said the tournament had also helped them build confidence, improve their skills and understand the level of competition required to succeed internationally.

The players noted that facing international opponents at home provided an opportunity to test their abilities without the extra cost of travelling abroad.

They added that regular competitions of this nature would help young players improve their rankings and prepare for bigger international tournaments.

Tournament Director, Paul Moses, predicted tougher matches in the second week of the J30 competition.

Moses said some players were physically tired after competing in singles and doubles events during the first week.

“The second week is going to be tougher because physically, many of the players are tired,” he said.

He noted that the rain which disrupted play on Tuesday had given players time to rest ahead of the remaining matches.

Moses said he was not surprised by the strong performance of Nigerian players, noting their history of dominance in ITF competitions across West Africa.

“I am not surprised to see Nigerian players doing well because we have always dominated in West Africa, even at J30, J60 and J100 tournaments,” he said.

He expressed hope that Nigerian players would repeat their impressive performance in the first week.

Moses added that foreign players would be more determined to reach the finals after narrowly missing out on titles in the first week.

“They would not want to lose this time. They also want to get to the final, so the competition will be tougher,” he said.

In the girls’ singles, top seed Goodness Aina defeated compatriot Anuoluwapo Odebode 6-1, 6-4.

Fego Ayetuoma also recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Aanya Penmesha of the U.S.

India’s top seed, Tejaswi Manneni, defeated Omoyinka Ayinla 6-2, 6-2.

In the boys’ singles, top seed Seyi Ogunsakin secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Amir Mohammed.

Second seed Agbolahan Olawale defeated India’s Sangram Bhadury 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 in a closely contested match.

Olawale said competing against foreign players had been a great experience.

“It has exposed me to different playing styles and helped me understand what I need to improve in my game.

“It has also boosted my confidence because I now have the opportunity to test my abilities against players from other countries, without travelling abroad,” he said. (NAN)