Nigeria’s Davis Cup head coach, Benson Ishicheli, has praised his players’ resilience and the passionate support of Lagos fans after the hosts ended Day One of the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs level at 1–1 against Uzbekistan at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday.
The tie began on a difficult note for Nigeria, as Uzbekistan took the early advantage through Khumoyun Sultanov, who delivered a composed baseline display to defeat Canice Abua in straight sets.
Sultanov broke early in the first set and maintained control to seal a 6–3, 6–4 victory, despite Abua growing in confidence and enjoying strong backing from the home crowd.
Nigeria, however, responded in style in the second singles match, with national number one Daniel Adeleye producing a spirited comeback to restore parity.
After conceding the opening set 4–6 to Abdulaziz Usmonjonov, Adeleye raised his level, dictated the rallies and took command of the contest, claiming the second set 6–2 before edging a tense decider 6–4 to the delight of the Lagos spectators.
The result ensured the tie finished Day One all square, setting up a decisive final day featuring the doubles and reverse singles.
Speaking to Sports247 after the matches, Ishicheli described the opening day as fiercely contested and commended his players for handling the pressure.
“The games were very intense, with a lot of pressure,” Ishicheli said. “Honestly, kudos to our players. I never expected Canice Abua to play that way, and he showed great character despite the result.”
The coach also expressed confidence in Adeleye’s ability to deliver, highlighting both his quality and experience.
“I must be honest, I expected Daniel Adeleye to win. He is a very good player and, in my opinion, far better than the opponent. The support from the crowd, the cheering from the stands, really helped us pull through,” he added.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s decisive encounters, Ishicheli remained optimistic about Nigeria’s prospects, particularly in the doubles.
“Our chances are good. I’ll say it’s 50–50 for now as we look forward to the doubles. If we can put the doubles in the bag, we are good to go. I’m sure we can manage the reverse singles and get at least one win from the two matches,” he said.
With the tie finely balanced after Day One, attention now turns to the doubles and reverse singles, which will determine who advances from the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs.
