CBN National Tennis Open: Akwa Ibom Wonder Girls Shine, Reach Semi-Finals
Akwa Ibom’s rising tennis stars, Etoro Bassey and Favour James, have continued to make the state proud with impressive performances at the ongoing CBN National Tennis Open in Abuja.
Etoro Bassey booked her place in the women’s singles semi-finals after a series of dominant displays. The talented youngster, who won a silver medal at the NDDC Games in Benin earlier this year, produced one of the standout results of the tournament by defeating Plateau State’s Suwa Nenrot, the NDDC Games gold medallist, 6-1, 6-0 in the quarter-finals.
Her journey to the last four began with a convincing 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kadijat Salami of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the opening round. She followed that up with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win against Mary Azi, also from the FCT, to secure her place in the quarter-finals.
The success story has not been limited to the singles event. In the women’s doubles category, the Akwa Ibom duo of Etoro Bassey and Favour James have also advanced to the semi-finals. The pair defeated Gloria Samuel and Daisy Ukechukwu 6-2, 7-5 in the quarter-finals to continue their impressive run in the competition.
The semi-final matches are scheduled to take place on June 19, 2026, at the Tennis Complex of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Etoro Bassey’s rapid rise in Nigerian tennis continues to attract attention from stakeholders and followers of the sport. Her consistent performances on the national stage have strengthened hopes that she could soon earn opportunities to represent Nigeria in international competitions.
The achievements of Bassey and James also reflect the growing development of tennis in Akwa Ibom State, where support from the state tennis association has played a key role in nurturing young talents and providing them with opportunities to compete at the highest level.
