Femi Solaja
30 December 2008
Lagos — Nigeria 's quest to storm back to the elite group of the Davis Cup may come earlier than expected following the decision of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to restore the country back into Euro/Africa Group three after initial pronouncement of drop to Group four.
This was contained in the letter written to the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) yesterday by the world tennis body reinstating the country back to group three after failing to show up at the promotion match placed last March at Tennis Club, Lokomotiv, Plovdiv in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Embassy in Lagos had refused the Nigerian team visas and even when ITF intervened, the situation remained the same as the players missed the opportunity to play for promotion or remain in the group. Subsequently Nigeria was relegated along side Cote d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe. The host, Bulgaria and Montenegro were promoted while Turkey and Madagascar retained their status in the group.
"It's a good beginning for us to start the New Year and when we commence preparations for the next qualifiers, all the logistics that worked against our inability to make the last one would be given a serious thought," the scribe of NTF, Olusola Luke revealed to THISDAYSports yesterday.
The next qualifying matches in all the groups will commence March next year and Nigeria will have the opportunity to rise from the brink of playing at the lowest cadre and move to the elite division just like in the golden days of Nduka Odizor and David Imonitie.
Two years ago, Nigeria returned to Euro/Africa Group two after a superlative performance at the qualifier played in Namibia 17 years after the country was relegated to Group three. It has remained there since then.
However, the euphoria of the victory was short lived following a 0-5 demolition by Poland in the race for Euro/Africa Group one match played at Abuja National stadium.
In the redemption battle later last year, Nigeria was pummelled by Ukraine 5-0 at the Lagos Tennis Club, Onikan and thus went back to square one.
Although the Polish players have higher ratings than their Nigerian counterparts, the home team had banked on home crowd and its superior play on hard court as against Poland who are masters of clay tennis but reverse was the case when the country's best hope Jonathan Igbinovia lost to Kubiz Wizliez 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 in the opening match that lasted two hours 42 minutes.
Later Abdul-Mumini Babalola was eliminated after he lost the second match to Dawiz Olejniezak 1-6, 4-6 and 3-6 while in the doubles event the duo lost to Mariusz Frystenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-7, 5-7, 4-6 and 1-6.
The Polish side completed the rout of the home team as Babalola lost the first reverse singles to Frystenberg 4-6, 4-6 while Igbinovia also proved no match to Olejiniezak 3-6 2-6 and 3-6.
In desperation to remain in Euro/Africa zone two, Nigeria has elected to host the match against Ukraine again but due to low crowd attendance in Abuja the tie was moved to Lagos but the result remained the same.
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