Double delight for debutant Danial at sixth edition of West Asia Fujairah Cup

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
 
Making his first appearance at the ITF’s West Asia Fujairah Cup Kazakhstan’s Danial Rakhmatullayev was unsure of what destiny had in store for him.

On Saturday, the Kazakh’s joy knew no bounds as Danial scripted history by becoming the first ever boys player to win singles and doubles titles at the sixth edition of West Asia Fujairah Cup.

The tournament took place at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Complex in the Fujairah Tennis and Country Club (FTCC). 

Reaching the singles final on the back of some flawless performances, the fourth seed Danial dispatched his Russian rival Makar Elesin in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to lay hands on his second trophy.

Eighth seed Elesin tried to stage a comeback in the second set but it was too late.

Earlier, Danial partnering Russia’s Timofei Derepasko faced a tough battle in the doubles final.

The Kazakh-Russian pair comfortably won the first set 6-1 only to be taken aback in the next one as their unseeded Czech Republic opponents Patrik Oplustil and Felipe Polach rallied to ensure the match had to settle through tiebreak.

Danial and Derepasko eventually prevailed in the draining neck-to-neck battle.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win both singles and doubles trophies at the West Asia Fujairah Cup.

“This is the first time I was playing in Fujairah tennis club and it’s a great stadium situated between the mountains, I feel really good to play here and win these titles,” said Danial.

In the girl’s singles, Laima Vladson of Lithuania defeated fifth seed Eva Busaad of Bulgaria 6-4, 7-5.

Top seeded Ukranian duo Anastasiia Vashchenko and Anna Vashchenko downed Romanian pair of Vanessa Ioana Nocaci and Andra Maria Simion 6-4, 6-4 in the girl’s doubles final.

Abdul Ghafour Behrozian, Chairman of Fujairah Tennis and Country Club (FTCC), expressed delight over the success of the tournament.

“The players showcased a great level of enthusiasm and competitive spirit during the sixth edition West Asia Fujairah Cup.The feedback of the players is really motivating and we are committed to strengthening the sport of tennis and the tournament at large in the UAE.:

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, we organised a safe tournament while putting the health and wellbeing of all players and support staff on top most priority,” he added.

The competition was part of ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors’ and witnessed the participation of 60 boys and 40 girls from different countries from across the globe. The event also saw four UAE players taking part.

“Our aim was to provide a great facility for these world class players, this year it is even more important with all the coronavirus protocols in place.

“We appreciate the support of the people involved in the success of the tournament.

“We are proud of their contribution in organising the tournament without any hassles,” said Salah Al Hamad, General Manager, Fujairah Tennis and Country club.

Yonex, the global sports brand, came on board as sponsor with Fujairah Tennis and Country club for the first time for the West Asia Fujairah Cup.

Vaibhav Varma, Partner of Al Raed Pioneers the sole distributor of Yonex in the UAE, said: “We are very happy to be associated with a world class facility like FTCC, the club has a strong history in contributing towards tennis federations in the UAE and providing perfect platform for hosting national and international tournaments.”

Hania Reggi, Marketing and Sales Manager of FTCC, said: “Tournaments like this will help to establish Fujairah and our renowned club as a desirable sports destination in the UAE.

“Following the success of the sixth edition West Asia Fujairah Cup, we are planning to host a J4 ITF junior tennis tournament at the Fujairah Tennis and country Club during the second week of January 2022,” Hania signed off.