The second week of the 2026 NASCO/ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 Championship continued on Wednesday at the Tennis Complex of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, with players from Nigeria, the United States, China, Benin Republic, Cameroon and Liberia battling for places in the next round of the prestigious junior tournament.
Key Highlights:
- The NASCO/ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors J30 Championship continued in Abuja with players competing for ITF junior ranking points.
- Nigeria recorded mixed results, with wins for Iyanuoluwa Tayo and Umar Omaye.
- Foreign players including Elliott Avwomoyi, Hengzhu Su, and Shalom Kayo Danhouan advanced.
- Liberia’s Lev Baker secured a comfortable straight-sets victory over Cameroon’s opponent.
- The event has attracted junior players from more than a dozen countries, highlighting its growing international profile.
The championship forms part of the International Tennis Federation’s global junior development circuit for players aged 18 and under and offers valuable world ranking points.
Several Nigerian players were in action during Wednesday’s order of play, producing a mixture of victories and defeats against their foreign counterparts.
One of the standout matches saw American youngster Elliott Avwomoyi overcome Nigeria’s Wisdom Efiyong in a closely contested encounter.
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Avwomoyi recovered strongly after dropping the opening set to secure a 4-6, 7-6 victory and progress to the next stage of the competition.
Nigeria’s Austin Joseph Ogbole was unable to maintain his early advantage against Benin Republic’s Shalom Kayo Danhouan.
After losing the first set, Danhouan mounted an impressive comeback to claim a 3-6, 6-2 victory and continue his campaign in Abuja.
Chinese player Hengzhu Su also demonstrated his quality with a straight-sets triumph over Nigeria’s Mohammed Abdullahi. Su controlled proceedings from the baseline and secured a 6-4, 6-1 win to move into the next round.
There was success for the host nation as Iyanuoluwa Tayo produced a determined performance to defeat Benin Republic’s Abdulbaasit Samami.
In one of the day’s most competitive encounters, Tayo edged both sets in tiebreak fashion to record a 7-5, 7-2 victory and keep Nigerian hopes alive in the tournament.
An all-Nigerian affair between Umar Omaye and Segun Monday provided plenty of excitement for spectators.
Omaye ultimately emerged victorious with a 6-4, 6-3 win after displaying greater consistency during the crucial moments of the match.
Liberia’s Lev Baker also advanced comfortably after defeating Cameroon’s Zolly Zollybwelle Gaetan N. 6-4, 6-0. Baker dominated the second set, showcasing his power and court coverage to seal a convincing victory.
The Abuja event has attracted junior tennis players from more than a dozen countries, including Nigeria, China, the United States, Cameroon, Liberia, Benin Republic, Great Britain, Canada, France and others, underscoring its growing reputation as one of Africa’s leading junior tennis tournaments.
The current tournament follows an exciting opening week in which Chinese player Hengzhi Cui captured the boys’ singles title, while Nigeria’s Success Ogunjobi successfully defended her girls’ singles crown.
Their victories highlighted the increasing competitiveness of the Abuja-based championship, which continues to serve as an important platform for developing future tennis stars.
With more matches scheduled in the coming days, attention will now turn to whether the remaining Nigerian players can build on Wednesday’s performances and challenge for honours on home soil as the race for valuable ITF junior ranking points intensifies in Abuja.
