Top seed, Oyinlomo Quadre began her campaign at the Grade 4 hard-court tournament on a brilliant note, as she powered past local favourite Carmine Becoude in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals.

Quadre, bidding for her second ITF Junior title this year, claimed a straightforward 6-3, 6-1 victory over the Beninese.

The 16-year-old, who won the ITF Junior Tennis Club de Megrine title in Tunisia in April, will try to stay on track for another, when she takes on No. 7 seed, Vania Dotse of Togo, who beat Rodia Noudogdessi 6-2, 6-1.

Quadre holds a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Dotse in career meetings. Both encounters were in 2016, with Quadre winning 6-0, 6-0 in both of them.

In the boys’ field, Abayomi Philips, who received a first round bye, outclassed Mali’s Chieckne Traore in straight sets to advance to the third round. The 6-2, 6-4 victory sees the 17-year-old Nigerian face Koffi Goudjinou of Togo for a place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

FB IMG 1567270920668

Abayomi Philips

It will be a rematch of the pair’s semifinal contest at the GTFLifetime Athletic Open in Accra last month, a match Philips won along the way to his title triumph there.

Michael Osewa also moved into the third round, following a fine 6-4, 6-1 victory over No. 3 seed Kodjo Charles. The Nigerian takes on 14th seed, Mariano Kpodeziaou of Benin for a place in the quarter-finals.

DSC 0742.JPG

Michael Osewa

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Jebutu and Wilson Igbinovia fell in straight sets in their respective second-rounders. Jebutu was beaten 7-6, 6-1 by local favourite, Vence N’tcha, while Igbinovia was edged 6-3, 6-3 by 4th seed, Arnaud Sewanou of Benin.

Action continues on Wednesday at the Tennis Clud de l’Amitie in Cotonou.