Oman Open Tennis Championship enters thrilling final rounds
Saturday's matches will feature the semifinals in the Under-12 and Under-18 boys' categories, as well as the veterans' competitions for the Over-55 and Over-65 categories. Additionally, the quarterfinals for the men's singles and professional singles categories will take place. Meanwhile, the Under-18 girls' final has been scheduled for next Tuesday after national team players Arin al Azkawi and Aisha al Busaidy secured their spots in the final match.
A number of highly competitive matches are scheduled for Saturday. In the professional singles category, Abdullah al Barwani will face Samrat, while Madani al Bakri will compete against Nasser al Rashid in the Over-65 singles category, alongside a match between Imran Khan and Draga in the same division. In the women's singles category, Aisha al Busaidy will go head-to-head against Anska.
One of the tournament's standout moments last week was Younis al Rawahi's thrilling victory over eighth-seeded Nigerian player Achi with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 12-10. Al Rawahi, despite a long absence from the courts, delivered an impressive performance, proving his strong comeback. Additionally, Munir al Rawahi defeated Abdullah al Hayai 6-1, 6-0 in the professional men's singles category, while Rayan al Busaidy lost to top-seeded player Joklina 6-1, 6-0 in the women's category.
Commenting on the progress of the tournament, Faisal al Balushi, the tournament director, highlighted the high technical level of the competition, especially in the men's category, and anticipated even more excitement in the upcoming rounds. He noted the tournament's broad participation from various nationalities and age groups, emphasising that its main goal is to promote competitive sportsmanship and bring tennis players together in one venue. Additionally, it provides national team players with valuable exposure and experience ahead of future international competitions.
Al Balushi also pointed out that the championship serves as a golden opportunity for tennis enthusiasts in the Sultanate of Oman to showcase their skills. Players were allocated through a competitive draw, and he expressed his gratitude to the Oman Tennis Association's board for entrusting them with organising this significant event. He affirmed that the successful organisation of the tournament serves as great motivation to enhance future events and contributes to the development of national administrative and technical expertise in the sport of tennis.
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