Second seed, Blessing Samuel staged a stunning fightback to come back from a set down and clinch the women’s singles title with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory over Christie Agugbom at the Rainoil Open in Lagos on Saturday.
Agugbom came out of the blocks firing as she broke twice early in the first set to open up a 3-1 lead, and then kept her composure to roll through the remainder of the set, closing it out 6-2.
The 35-year-old would break to go 3-1 up in the second set and then spring to a 5-3 lead. Serving for the title, Agugbom faltered and Samuel broke. As Agugbom’s game crumbled, Samuel rolled through four consecutive games to level the match at 2-6, 7-5, forcing a final set.
Agugbom had no answers to Samuel’s outstanding play in the final set as Samuel handed her a bagel to seal victory and claim her second national title on the trot.
Samuel, who won the Vemp Open title in September in Abuja, will seek to claim her third straight title when the Dala Hard Court Tennis Championship begins in the ancient city of Kano, where she’s the defending champion.
