Nigeria tennis legend son in the third round of Australian Open
Tennis star Michael Mmoh, son of former top Nigerian tennis player Tony Mmoh, has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open after beating German number one Alexander Zeverev, a former world number two according to Page 3 News.
Seeded 12th at the event, the 25-year-old Mmoh won 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a Saturday encounter with American JJ Wolf.
He had won his first-round game, a five-setter, in more sensational fashion, beating Frenchman Laurent Lokoli 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. Two sets down and on the verge of losing the third, Mmoh fought back gallantly to claim the remaining three sets.
The German, who was a semi-finalist in Australia in 2020, admitted that the loss to 107th-ranked Mmoh was a further indication he still had a long road to travel on his injury recovery.
Michael’s father was in what could be regarded as the golden generation of Nigeria tennis players that included Nduka Odizor, who got to the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1983, David Imonitie, and Sadiq Abdullahi.
He, Tony Mmoh, played on the ATP World Tour and competed for Nigeria in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, advancing to the second round in singles, and also reached the second round of the US Open in 1985.
They dominated Africa, and indeed were the factors of Nigeria being in the Europe Group in the prestigious Davis Cup, and regular faces in the international circuit that had some Nigerian tournaments listed; especially the Lagos Classics that Lord Rumens sponsored.
Michael Mmoh was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He grew up in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. He won the USTA junior national championship in 2016. He has won 5 ATP Challenger titles and 4 ITF Futures tournaments, including his first at the age of 16.
Never in tennis history have there been as many talented African-American tennis players as there are today.
In celebration of Black History Month, here is a look at one of those players – following in the tradition of Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters – who is on the cusp of breaking through and leaving his very own imprint on the top ranks of the professional game.
Michael had his breakout season in 2014. On the junior level, he went 5-0 to help lead the U.S. to the Junior Davis Cup title (16 and under) and captured the prestigious Orange Bowl doubles title with fellow American Stefan Kozlov. In the pro ranks, he won the first three tournaments of his career, all at Futures events on the USTA Pro Circuit.
He peaked at No. 2 in the ITF World Junior rankings in 2015, after reaching the boys’ singles semifinals at the French Open, the boys’ singles quarterfinals at the US Open and the boys’ doubles semifinals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Mmoh, who stands at 6-foot-1, is powered by a big forehand, which he considers his best shot, and has the kind of easy power that should translate well to the professional ranks.
