The Ritz-Carlton Dubai Open Tennis Tournament is under way with a couple of major upsets the highlight of the opening day’s action.
In the men’s singles category, No1 seed Abdul Rauf Bakht fell to Naim Bouyayha in a thrilling 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 result that was settled via a third-set tie-breaker.
Bouyayha, however, suffered an injury during the match which took its toll in the next round as he lost to Oleg Geraskin 6-0, 6-2.
Phillip Varzun had little trouble getting past Khalifa Ali, 6-0, 6-0, earning him a spot in the round of 16.
In the boy’s under-18, Saulius Pakstys will take on Efe Harmankaya in the quarter-finals after the latter bested Ajay Nischal with a 6-0, 6-4 win.
Marius Pakstys, meanwhile, will meet Martim Cafe in the quarters following wins over Sayed Tavakoli and Karim Najia respectively.
Sebastian Page advanced to the round of 16 of the boy’s under-14 with dominating victories over Nadir Mussa, 6-0, 6-1, and Karim Zakiroz, 6-1, 6-0.
Apart from the men’s singles, boy’s under-18 and boy’s under-14, the tournament has four other categories – ladies singles, men’s doubles, boy’s under-10 and girl’s under-14.
“All matches have run very smoothly and it is great to see the players competing with guests popping in to see the talent on offer,” said Ole Brom, recreation manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai.
Organisers Super Sports’ Florian Piscreta said: “The response to the tournament is amazing and just shows the demand there is for competitive tennis for serious and recreational players in all age groups.
“The level has been pretty high, but it is all about giving the players a tournament to compete in and play against people they may never have met if it was not for an event like this.
“Scheduling all the matches to be played at Ritz-Carlton was tough as the venue had to give up all their courts to the tournament.
“But the management have been very supportive and played an important role in ensuring matches were played on time.”
The tournament will wrap up on Friday, June 13, when over Dh30,000 worth of prizes will be presented courtesy Ritz-Carlton and co-sponsors Babolat and Sun & Sand Sports.
For full results from the tournament, visit: www.supersportsdubai.com.
