LESS than 24 hours after she bundled out the defending champion, Abiola Akewula, 14-year old Sarah Adegoke continued with her superb performance by sending another top player, Anu Aiyegbusi, packing from the ongoing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Open Tennis Championship.It did not take Adegoke much time to see the tourney's number five seed out of the championship in the third round to berth in the quarter-final. With support from his father, who was present during the encounter, the teenage sensation, who was participating in her first senior event, affirmed her intention to claim the title this year.The unseededAdegoke overwhelmed Aiyegbusi 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final clash with third seed Christy Agugbom. A confident Adegoke told The Guardian that she was just enjoying herself with the aim of lifting the title at the weekend.'I think I am just playing my game regardless of the status of my opponents because tennis is not played with status,' she said. 'For me, I just want to play and I think anybody that comes my way should be ready for me.'As long as I am happy winning my matches, I still believe I need to continue working hard to come out victorious. For now, I am looking forward to winning the tournament this year.'In other matches of the women's third round, Blessing Anuna struggled to beat Aminat Quadri 7-6(5), 0-6, 7-6(3), Agugbom beat Nosa Esorae 6-1, 6-4, while former champion, Fatimo Abinu, overcame Omotayo Ibrahim 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to make the last eight of the championship.Last year's semi-finalist and 2011 All Africa Games gold medallist, Onyeka Mbanu, also progressed to the last eight with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sunday Maku, while 2011 runner-up, Nonso Madueke, beat Abdullahi Hamidu 6-3, 6-1 to make it to the quarter-finals.Defending champion, Henry Atseye, defeated Destiny Ford Da-Silva 6-3, 6-4, Abdulmumuni Babalola triumphed over Kehinde Alade 6-1, 6-0, while Clifford Enosoregbe dismissed Ali Ibrahim 6-4, 6-1. Shehu Lawal advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Ganiyu Salami, Taiwo Owolabi beat Albert Bikom 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, while Jonah Samuel overwhelmed Emmanuel Onyejiaka 6-0, 6-1.'I am just enjoying myself and I think the third round match against Sunday Maku was a very good match because it was mentally tasking, and I look forward to such match. For now, I don't want to start boasting but let my game do the talking for me,' Mbanu said.In today's quarter-finals pairings, Atseye will face Enosoregbe, Madueke will confront Samuel, Owolabi will clash with Lawal, while Mbanu will square up with Babalola in the men's singles event. Meanwhile, Adegoke will have to redouble efforts as she takes on another seeded player, Agugbom, in today's quarter-final.
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