Adegoke beats Samuel to win Rainoil Open title

Sarah Adegoke yesterday at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja beat Blessing Samuel 6-3, 6-3 to win the women’s singles title of the Rainoil Open Tennis Tournament.

The top seed raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, breaking Samuel in the second and fourth games. Although Abuja-based Samuel got two breaks to close the score to 5-3, Adegoke hit more winners, which helped her to close the set 6-3.

Samuel triumphed on their last meeting at the Dala Hard Court in Kano in November, but there was no stopping Adegoke, who started the year with the Top Eight Masters’ title, as she broke three times in the second set that also ended 6-3.

“I was nervous because I knew Blessing has improved a lot. She is a very good player but somehow she did not play to her standard today,” said Adegoke, who went home with N350, 000 for her efforts in the 10-day tennis tourney.

Speaking at the end of the tournament, Ranoil CEO, Gabriel Ogbechie, pledged more support for the development of Nigerian tennis.

He said: “The tournament will help our players get more familiar with clay court because they are used to hard surface and to be the best one has to master all the surfaces. We are going to continue this way to ensure we bring out the best in our youths,” Ogbechie said.

The Rainoil boss assured that the tournament would be an annual event.