Nigeria’s women’s tennis team made history in Gaborone on Saturday after defeating hosts Botswana 2-1 to secure promotion to the Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Group II for the first time.
Success Ogunjobi and Barakat Quadre delivered the two singles victories Nigeria needed in the decisive promotion play-off tie at the National Tennis Centre, completing an impressive campaign for the team coached by Rotimi Akinloye.
Nigeria were represented at the Africa Group III tournament by Quadre, Ogunjobi, Khadijat Mohammed and Etoro Bassey.
Ogunjobi gave Nigeria the perfect start against Botswana with a dominant 6-2, 6-4 victory over Chelsea Chakanyuka in the opening singles rubber.
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Quadre then produced the performance that sealed promotion, recovering from a set down to beat Ekua Youri 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a tense second singles encounter.
The win handed Nigeria an unassailable 2-0 lead and confirmed their place in Europe/Africa Group II before the doubles rubber was played.
Botswana claimed the concluding doubles match 6-2, 3-6, 10-5, but it only reduced the final tie score to 2-1 as Nigeria completed the job against the host nation.
The victory left Nigeria, Botswana and Tunisia level in the three-team promotion group after each country won one tie and lost one.
Tunisia had earlier defeated Nigeria 2-1 before Botswana responded with a 2-1 win over the North Africans. Nigeria’s victory over Botswana by the same scoreline completed a circle of results in which all three teams also finished with three rubber wins and three defeats.
Nigeria eventually emerged at the top of the standings after the competition’s tiebreak criteria were applied, with Botswana finishing second and Tunisia third.
The result means Nigeria and Botswana have secured the two available promotion places and will compete in the Billie Jean King Cup Europe/Africa Group II in 2027.
Nigeria reached the promotion play-offs after finishing unbeaten at the top of their preliminary group.
They sealed their place in the final round with a 3-0 victory over Madagascar, with Ogunjobi fighting back to win her singles match 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 before Quadre defeated Iariniaina Tsantaniony 6-3, 6-3.
Quadre and Mohammed then completed the sweep with a 6-2, 6-0 doubles victory as Nigeria finished the preliminary stage as Group C winners.
The Africa Group III competition featured 11 countries and was staged on outdoor hard courts at the National Tennis Centre in Gaborone from July 13 to 18.
Nigeria first competed in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2021, making the promotion the country’s biggest achievement in the women’s international team competition.
The Billie Jean King Cup is the premier international team competition in women’s tennis and the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup.
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