By ADERONKE OJO

Canice Abua emerged champion of the Men’s Singles event at the 2026 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Open National Tennis Championship, defeating defending champion Emmanuel Michael 6-1, 6-2 in the final on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the grand finale of the 47th edition of the championship was held at the tennis courts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The highly anticipated final, which was briefly interrupted by heavy rainfall for more than two hours, resumed with Abua maintaining his dominance to seal victory in straight sets.

From the opening game, Abua controlled proceedings with powerful groundstrokes, accurate serving and relentless consistency, leaving the defending champion struggling to find answers.

The new champion dictated rallies from the baseline and capitalised on a series of unforced errors from Michael to take the first set comfortably 6-1.

After play was suspended by rain, Abua returned with the same intensity, quickly re-establishing control of the contest before closing out the second set 6-2 to claim the title.

His aggressive approach and tactical discipline left little room for a comeback as he completed the match without dropping a set.

Abua ‘s triumph capped an outstanding campaign throughout the 10-day championship.

His title run began in the round of 64 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over rising youngster Nuhu Urenyang before overcoming Sani Musa 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 32.

In the round of 16, he defeated Muhammed Dahiru 6-2, 6-4 before advancing to the quarterfinals, where he dispatched David Edwards 6-2, 6-3.

Abua continued his impressive form in the semifinals, defeating Yusuf Abubakar 6-1, 6-3 to secure a place in the final.

He then capped a flawless tournament by dethroning defending champion Michael, completing the championship without dropping a single set.

Speaking after lifting the trophy, an emotional Abua thanked the organisers, sponsors and his support team for standing by him throughout the tournament.

“I just want to give a big shout-out to the organisers, the sponsors and everyone who inspired me. I’m really, really happy.

“ This is my fifth appearance in the CBN championship , my first championship title here in Abuja but others titles I have won are in Lagos,Kano , Benue and ,” he said.

Reflecting on his remarkable run, during which he won every match in straight sets, Abua attributed the success to months of hard work and preparation.

“I really worked hard for this CBN tournament, and it’s showing. Honestly, I am really happy with my performance,” he said.

Describing his triumph over Emmanuel Michael as a career milestone, he added: “It’s a big achievement for me because this is my first championship in Abuja

“I want to congratulate myself and my team because they have been there throughout this journey and maintained that Michael his brother not a friend,” he said.

The tournament featured men and women singles and doubles events, as well as wheelchair tennis competitions.

The championship which began on June 12 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, ended on Saturday. (NAN)

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