The duo of Benjamin Jeremiah and Yahaya Sani-Inabo advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the ongoing VEMP National Open Tennis Championship on Tuesday in Abuja.

Playing at Court 4 of the National Tennis Centre, Package B, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, the pair edged past John David and Godgift Timibra with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6(5) win in the round of 16.

The first set remained level at 2-2 until Jeremiah and Sani-Inabo broke serve to take a 6-4 lead. The second set went down to the wire, finishing 6-6 before the duo clinched the tiebreak 7-6(5), securing their place in the last eight.

Next up, they will face the in-form duo of Daniel Adeleye and Abubakar Yusuf, who comfortably dispatched Endurance Ehiegiamusoe and Saidu Sani-Inabo 6-1, 6-2.

Speaking after the match, Benjamin Jeremiah expressed delight with the outcome:
“The game was fine, it went well, and we’re happy with the win. This is my first time playing in this specific doubles competition, although I’ve competed in senior events before. Unfortunately, I didn’t progress far in the singles, getting knocked out in the qualifying rounds,” he said.

His partner, Yahaya Sani-Inabo, also appreciated the tough win:
“I thank God for the victory. It wasn’t easy, but we made it through. I’m taking things one match at a time and staying focused. I’m also looking forward to my next singles match against Endurance Ehiegiamusoe and hoping for another win,” he added.

In other doubles matches:

Daniel Adeleye/Abubakar Yusuf defeated Endurance Ehiegiamusoe/Saidu Sani-Inabo 6-1, 6-2.

Lucky Danjuma/Mubarak Ganiyu beat Ezekiel Azi/Dahiru Mohammed 6-1, 4-1 (Retired).

Canice Abua/Musa Mohammed eased past Terry Akuchu/Charles Uwandu 6-1, 6-1.

In a thrilling match, Mathew Abamu/Emmanuel Michael edged Chima Michael/Ikechukwu Iloputa 6-0, 6-7(4), 10-7 to reach the quarterfinals.

The VEMP National Open Tennis Championship features 192 players across men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, and women’s doubles. The tournament, which began on July 4, is scheduled to end on July 12.