Top seed Rafael Aldemita effortlessly advances into boys’ semi-finals

Dubai: Top seed Alexi Luca Rafael Aldemita eased into the boys’ under-12 semi-final with a swift 6-0, 6-4 win against Thomas Toussaint at the 9th Al Habtoor Tennis Cup, late on Wednesday.

Played at the HUBB Tennis Club in Silicon Oasis, Aldemita took his time to make suitable adjustments to his game to come out on top and become the first player to enter the last four stages of this competition.

The boys’ under-12 was the only match for juniors on Wednesday, but there were other games lined up in the men’s open and men’s over-35 Masters Open.

In the men’s open, Satveer Sendilkumar was an easy 6-2, 6-2 winner against Mohammad Amine Bourdih, while in the men’s over-35 Masters competition, Nicholas Albe cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Shirad Salaheddine and Julien Mizzon kept up his strong showing to blank Andrea Romeo 6-0, 6-0. Mohammed Al Maflahi secured a fluent 6-0, 6-4 victory against Karim Chtourou.

Community innitiative

This annual tennis competition is being held for junior boys and girls in four separate age categories (under-12, 14, 16 and 18) and three contests for seniors — Men’s Open, Women’s Open and Masters (35 years and above).

Finals in all 11 categories to be held alongside 27th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge on December 8.

This event is part of the ‘Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’ — the new community initiative developed by Mubadala in partnership with the UAE Tennis Federation, and under the umbrella of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

The programme provides a unique pathway for aspiring players within the UAE to elevate their skills and make their mark on the global tennis stage. The Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open series is fully sanctioned by the UAE Tennis Federation and will take place at multiple venues across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah.

Points accumulated through the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open tournaments will not only contribute to a player’s official UAE ranking, but also to a distinct Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open ranking.

Results:

Boys’ Under-12: Alexi Luca Rafael Aldemita bt Thomas Toussaint 6-0, 6-4.

Men’s Open: Satveer Sendilkumar bt Mohammad Amine Bourdih 6-2, 6-2.

Over 35 Masters: Nicholas Albe bt Shirad Salaheddine 6-1, 6-1; Julien Mizzon bt Andrea Romeo 6-0, 6-0; Mohammad Al Maflahi bt Karim Chtourou 6-0, 6-4.