Nigeria opened their Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Burundi in Gaborone, Botswana, on Monday, boosting their hopes of securing promotion.
Khadijat Mohammed gave Nigeria the perfect start with a commanding 6-0 win in the opening singles rubber, putting the team ahead in their first tie of the tournament.
Burundi hit back in the second singles through Ange Ishimwe, who defeated Success Ogunjobi 6-3, 6-3 to level the tie and force a decisive doubles encounter.
With the contest hanging in the balance, Nigeria paired experienced Oyinlomo Quadre with Ogunjobi for the doubles, and the duo delivered under pressure. They raced through the opening set 6-1 after an early break and maintained their composure in the second before Ogunjobi struck a forehand winner to clinch the match and hand Nigeria a 2-1 victory.
The result gives Nigeria an encouraging start in Group C, where only the group winners will earn promotion from Africa Group III. The team arrived in Botswana confident of ending a string of near misses and finally securing elevation to the next tier.
The Billie Jean King Cup, organised by the International Tennis Federation, is the premier international women's team tennis competition. Nigeria has established itself as one of the stronger sides in Africa Group III through consistent performances in both singles and doubles.
Captain Rotimi Akinloye's team came closest to promotion in 2024 after topping their round-robin group, while Quadre has emerged as Nigeria's standout performer in the competition, holding the national records for the most overall, singles and doubles victories.
