Al Janahi qualifies for West Asian ITF squad
UAE player finishes runner-up in Development Championship in Muscat
Dubai: The UAE’s Fares Al Janahi ended runner-up at an event in Muscat to qualify for the ITF’s Asian Under-14 Championship to be held in early 2013.
Playing at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Al Janahi did well to make it to the final of the ITF West Asia U-13 Development Championship earlier this week, before going down in straight sets to Hazem Naow of Syria 7-6 (1), 6-1.
There were two tournaments held over a couple of weeks in Muscat , which acted as qualifying rounds to select the best four boys and girls for the West Asian U-14 team that will represent the region at the ITF’s Asian Under-14 Championship in early 2013 in as yet unnamed South Asian country. The players were accompanied by Tennis Emirates junior team coach Hicham Bramly.
After receiving a first round bye, Al Janahi beat Marc Boustany of Lebanon 6-1, 6-3 in the second round and Karim Al Basatneh of Syria 6-1, 7-6 (2) in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, the UAE youngster got the better of Syrian Rabee Salem 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1.
The second UAE player, Majid Al Janahi, lost to Zakariya Al Soulaimani of Oman in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.
In the second tournament, Fares Al Janahi once again got past Al Boustany in the first round and then defeated Ali Al Herz of Kuwait 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the quarters, only to lose in the last-four stage to eventual champion Aziz Ahmad of Yemen 6-2, 6-2. The UAE youngster also missed out on a bronze medal after he went down 6-3, 6-3 to Yemen’s Bilal Al Huraibi.
Majid Al Janahi lost 6-1, 6-1 against Kuwait’s Ali Hussain in the second competition.
