Uzbekistan made a confident start to their Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs tie against Nigeria after Khumoyun Sultanov defeated Canice Abua in the first match of the day on Saturday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.
Sultanov delivered a composed performance to secure a straight-sets 6–3, 6–4 victory, handing Uzbekistan an early advantage and putting immediate pressure on the hosts in front of their home supporters.
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The Uzbek controlled proceedings from the baseline in the opening set, breaking Abua’s serve early and dictating rallies with depth and consistency.
Despite vocal backing from the crowd, Abua struggled to find rhythm against Sultanov’s disciplined approach and solid court coverage.
The second set proved more competitive as the Nigerian raised his intensity, holding serve more comfortably and attempting to shorten points.
However, Sultanov remained calm in key moments, absorbing pressure before breaking late to close out the match.
Speaking after the encounter, Sultanov expressed satisfaction with his display.
“I knew playing in Lagos would not be easy, especially with the crowd behind Nigeria,” he said.
“My focus was to stay calm, play percentage tennis and take my chances when they came. I’m happy I could give my team a good start.”
Abua, while disappointed with the result, praised his opponent and looked ahead to the rest of the tie.
“It wasn’t the result I wanted, but credit to Sultanov — he played very smart tennis today,” Abua said. “There are still matches to play and we will keep fighting for Nigeria.”
The victory gave Uzbekistan the opening point of the tie and set the tone for the remaining matches, underlining their intent to make a strong push in the World Group II Playoffs.
With emotions high and plenty of tennis still to come, both teams know that momentum from the opening match could prove decisive as the battle in Lagos continues.
