Gottschalk survives a scare from Toubia

Two veterans advanced in the qualifying round of the 11th Aviation Cup Tennis tournament in a contrasting fashion.

Eric Gottschalk was made to work hard in the first set before he pipped Adil Toubia 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 while Ajay Kumar, returning to playing tennis almost after a year, strolled past K. N. Reddy 6-1, 6-1.

"It was a good win against an experienced player like Adil," Gottschalk, 33, said later.

Gottschalk and Toubia played the first set without a break. "In fact there was only one break point," Gottschalk pointed out. But in the tie breaker, serve and volley player Toubia just couldn't get going and Gottschalk ran away with a 7-2 tie break win.

In the second set, as Toubia struggled, Gottschalk broke his first two services to take a whipping 5-0 lead. He eventually won the set 6-2.

"He is a big server and an experience player," Gottschalk said paying tribute to his rival. "I am glad I won the match," he added.

Gottschalk, who works with the Jumeirah Beach Club, said that with this win his confident level was high. Now, " I my main aim is to qualify for the main draw of such a big tournament," he said.

"I have got pretty good rhythm," he feels but said that the competition was very very tough.

"If you get to the main draw, anybody can beat anybody on a good day," he said. And, with a bit of luck, such a big tournament says he could cause a few upsets even in the main draw.

Ajay Kumar, the Recreation Manager at the Marbella Resort in Sharjah, said with a grin, "I have entered to see if I can play." The 40-year-old tennis professional said that it was good fun for him to play in the Aviation Cup. "I have nothing to lose," he reckons.

Results:

Neil Alan Bulilan bt Dennis Voung 6-0, 6-0; Abdullah Abbas w/o Kevork Tchaparian; Eric Gottschalk bt Adil Toubia 7-6 (7-2), 6-2; Pieter Stoffer bt Ahmed 6-4, 7-6; Andrew Evans bt John cooper 6-1, 6-2; Francois w/o Prashant; Michael C. bt Navin Anthony 6-1, 6-1; Jeff Spalinger bt Douglas McPherson 6-0, 6-2; Ajay Kumar bt K.N. Reddy 6-1, 6-1; Pravin Anthony bt Ali Sharrif 6-0, 6-1. Nafees Khundeer bt Waleed Khalid 6-2, 6-0.