By Olanrewaju Akojede
An eight-year-old German player, Lorelay Sieghnde Holzendorff, is causing a great upset at the ongoing 13th Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Junior Tennis Championship holding in Lagos, as she played her way into the semi-finals.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that little Holzendorf a Basic Four Pupil of Dorety Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos is a first timer in the U-10 category of CBN Junior Tennis Championships.
Holzendorf, in spite of her age and size, was able to defeat bigger and older players without dropping a set in her play-offs winning all the games.
She has, however, made it to the semi-finals of the competition with her eyes set on winning it with the aid of her coach.
Holzendorf told NAN that Tennis appealed to her, hence her interest in the game that has got her so far in the tournament.
“I love tennis and I will like to be playing it. I want to win this tournament to make my parents happy,” she said.
Holzendorf’s mum, Patience, said that her daughter picked up the interest in Tennis as early as when she was five-year-old, adding that she would always support her interest in the game.
“My daughter picked interest in the game about three years ago when I used to bring her to the stadium; she likes the game and asks if she would be allowed to play.
“In this tournament, she is the best of the rest because she took great interest in the game, she is very diligent and plays very well in spite of the fact that this is her first outing.
“She is already inside the game and I can see her passion because she chose a sport outside of what I do because I am an athlete, but she prefers tennis.
“We are ready to give her uthmost support to move her forward in the game because she is doing well,” she said. (NAN)