Emmanuel Jebutu and Toyin Asogba came up short in their respective first round singles matches at the J5 Stavanger in Norway today, and will now turn their attention to the doubles event.
Jebutu, contesting his first match this year, went down 6-1, 6-1 to Sweden’s Adrian Luddeckens in the boys singles field. The 15-year-old will however, be on doubles duty in partnership with his compatriot, Abayomi Philips.
Jebutu and Philips will be aiming for their second ITF doubles title as a team this week after their triumph at the J5 Abuja in November last year.
The Nigerian duo will play the Danish pair of Ervin Mesic and Felipe Mikkelsen for a quarter-final ticket. Abayomi Philips fell to Ervin Mesic in his own first rounder, 6-2, 6-1.
In the girls field, Toyin Asogba was edged by the tournament’s 5th seed Clara Cwajgenbaum in straight sets. Cwajgenbaum, a 1-time ITF Junior champion, registered a 6-4, 6-1 win over Asogba.
Asogba, too, now turns her attention to the doubles event, where she’s teamed up with Russia’s Daria Domova. The Nigerian-Russian pairing will take on the British-Dane duo of Leah Edwards and Olivia Thiemke for a place in the girls doubles quarter-finals.
