Dubai: Omar Behroozian was crowned national champion even as young Rikeetha Pereira helped herself to two crowns in the junior girls at the season-ending UAE Tennis Ranking Masters that concluded at the Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi.
While Behroozian dismissed his Davis Cup teammate Mahmoud Nader in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 to help himself to the men's singles open title, young Pereira was in steady form winning the girls singles in the under-12 and under-14 crowns.
Behroozian, who was integral in the national team's successful foray of earning a place in Group III in the Asia-Oceania zone earlier this year, showed no signs of the knee injury that had kept him out of tennis for over one year. The Masters title caps a perfect year for the UAE's most successful player following his success in the Falak Holding National League with Al Wasl Club and his first ATP points that he won at a Futures event in Kuwait last month.
Behroozian's other Davis Cup teammate Rashid Bushagar Al Falasi was not as fortunate as he went down in three sets 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 to Marwan Al Kaissi for the boy's under-18 honours.Pereira battled for more than four hours before overcoming a resolute Sanjana Sudhir in three sets 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the girls under-14 after helping herself to the under-12 crown by defeating Ria Sengupta 6-1, 6-0 the previous day.
Results
Boys under-16: Ishaan Choubal bt Marwan Al Kaissi 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3); Boys under-12: Abdullah Al Ahli bt Christian Linge 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Girls under-16: S. Sabljarevic bt Grace Talih 6-4, 2-6, 1-6; Girls under-12: Rikeetha Pereira bt Ria Sengupta 6-0, 6-1; Men's Open: Omar Behroozian bt Mahmoud Nader 6-3, 6-1; Boys under-18: Marwan Al Kaissi bt Rashid Bushagar Al Falasi 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2; Boys under-14: Karim Allaf bt Majid Bushagar Al Falasi 6-4, 7-5; Girls under-14: Rikeetha Pereira bt Sanjana Sudhir 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.
