Lithuania’s Roneta Kacinskaite recorded an emphatic victory over Nigeria’s Esilama Awode, winning 6-1, 6-1 in the Girls Under-18 round of 32, Group E match at the ongoing 2026 NASCO/ITF J30 World Tennis Tour Junior Championship on Tuesday in Abuja.
The championship is taking place at the tennis complex of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The 12-year-old Lithuanian dominated proceedings from the start, displaying remarkable composure and consistency to secure a straight-sets win over the Nigerian in the round of 32.
Kacinskaite took control early, racing to a 4-1 lead in the first set and denying Awode any chance to comeback. She maintained her dominance, winning five consecutive games to close the set 6-1.
The second set followed a similar pattern, as Kacinskaite broke early and continued to dictate play with her consistency and aggressive shot-making, winning 6-1 to complete an emphatic victory.
After the match, Kacinskaite expressed satisfaction with her performance and outlined her ambition to win the title.
“I played really well today. My opponent was good, but I think it was her first ITF tournament, so she might have been a little nervous. It’s my first time in Nigeria, and I like it here. The environment is quite different from Lithuania. I still have two more round-robin matches to play, and I hope to win them and qualify for the knockout stage. My goal is to win the championship, and I will also compete in doubles,” she said.
Kacinskaite is competing in Group E alongside Nigeria’s Nenrot Suwa, Awode, and a bye, with only the group winner advancing to the quarter-finals.
Other results in the girls’ category include Kadijat Mohammed advancing with a bye, Jamila Sani rallying from a set down to beat Sarah Tijani 3-6, 6-4, 10-4, and Mary Azi winning convincingly 6-1, 6-0 over Ziyyadat Wuraola.
In the boys’ category, Mohammed Abdullahi defeated Paul Adebisi 6-2, 6-2, while Gbolahan Olawale beat Liberia’s Bill Freeman 6-1, 6-1. Heman Aframai won 6-4, 6-3 against Testimony Godwin, and China’s Jinxuan Cheng eased past Ismail Shuaibu 6-1, 6-1.
According to the tournament format, players in both categories are drawn into eight groups (A to H) with four players each. The competition is played on a round-robin basis over three days, with group winners advancing to the quarter-finals.
The first leg began on June 1 and runs until June 7, with the second leg scheduled from June 8 to June 13 at the same venue.
A total of 14 countries are represented, including Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Great Britain, Canada, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lithuania, India, Togo, Benin Republic, the United States, Sweden, and France.
