According to the president of the NTF, Engr. Sani Ndanusa, the 16-year-old right hander, who was born of Nigerian father and a Russian mum, started to play tennis at the age of five.
She was a member of the Russian National Team U12 and has won several titles including the European Championship in 2010. She was also the Russian champion for the U12 in 2010.
Some of her achievements so far in what is promising to be a glittering career include being a finalist at the Argayon Cup U16 Belgium while she was also the champion in the singles and doubles of the Hitec Bouneweg Junior Open U14.
Few months ago, she also reached the final in both the single and doubles of the Steinfort Tennis Europe Junior Open U16 held in Luxemburg.
Also in 2014 she was a finalist in single’s event of the Governor Cup U16 in Russia where she bag gold in the doubles event.
Ifidzhen, who is anxious to make her debut for Nigeria, among other achievements, was also a finalist at the Malta ITF U18 World Ranking Tournament and also reached the semifinal in the doubles event of the Ozerov Cup held in Russia.
“Women tennis in Nigeria will undoubtedly develop to a great height because of the influence of a global star prospect of Melissa. Her profile is absolutely wonderful because this is the type of profile that superstars like of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova post as a junior player and we can only hope that she gets to the top in the next few years,” Ndanusa stated.
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