Nigeria’s rising tennis star, Seun Ogunsakin, marked his Roland Garros debut with a victory over France’s Lenny Couturier in the boys’ singles qualifying event on Thursday. He overcame the home favourite in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 to boost his hopes of reaching the main draw of the junior tournament.
The 17-year-old Nigerian stayed aggressive from the baseline and took control in the first set to gain the advantage over the French youngster, with the match lasting about one hour and 30 minutes. The second set proved more competitive as Couturier attempted to force his way back into the match in front of the home crowd, but Ogunsakin maintained his intensity and responded strongly under pressure, matching his opponent point for point in several long rallies.
Ogunsakin will find out his opponent in the final qualifying round on Friday. The result marks another significant step in his development on the international junior circuit as he continues to establish himself among Africa’s promising tennis talents on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
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The Ekiti-born player has enjoyed a steady rise in the junior rankings this season, with recent success including winning the ITF J200 Africa Regional Championship in Cairo, Egypt, where he defeated Botswana’s Ntungamili Raguin in the final to secure one of the biggest titles of his young career. He will need to win one more qualifying match to secure a spot in the main draw of the boys’ singles event at Roland Garros.
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