The ninth Ramadan Grand Prize tennis tournament kicked off at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club with over 200 players participating.

The 19-event tournament is staged in association with Tennis Emirates, under the patronage of Sheikh Hasher Maktoum, Director of Dubai Information Department and President of Tennis Emirates.

There were no surprises in the first round games.

The Super Singles Draw was made yesterday. Omar Behroozian the UAE's No. 1 ranked player and GCC silver medallist was in the top spot in the absence of Zeeshan Ali. Eric Goltshalk was the second seed.

The draw also had bad news for the qualifiers as three of them will come up against three of the top seeds in the tournament.

UAE's Abdullah Kamber was drawn against India's Ajay Kumar, while Mohammed Al Nuaimi, the Arab under-16 runner up, is to play Rupert Laszlo. Nil Bulilan will face Darham Das and Attia Mahmoud was the the last player to receive a qualifier to play.

The Super Singles matches will be played over four days at the resort on December 6, 8 and 10. The final is slated for December 12.

In the other event, Lawrence Harradine kicked off the tournament by winning over Ben McCone 6-0, 6-0 in the boys' under-18, while Kanoka Hayashi beat Nina Jenkins 6-0, 6-0 and Ashley Schnieder beat Nina Jenkins 6-3, 6-4 in the girls' under-12.

In the men's first round singles Ashley Azavedo got the better of Anders Harns 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, Khaled Juma beat Lorneo Rutherfold 6-2, 6-2, Michale Maksopian overcame Mohamed Kookot 6-0, 6-0, S.

Hementh went past Sam McCone 6-2, 6-2 and V.N. Rao beat Tony Safarian 6-3, 6-3. In a second round encounter Mohamed Lakhani got the better off Piers Mories 6-1, 6-3.

In the men's doubles, Erfen and Wilfredo Dela Cruz beat Jihad Al Hussami and Omar Halal 6-1, 7-6 and Peter Fletcher and Ben McDonald got the better of Anil Berri and VN Rao 6-1, 6-1.

Toral Parekh outclassed Many Bartlett 6-0, 6-0, while younger sister Bindya Parekh surpassed Raya Dimakshay 6-1, 6-2 in the ladies singles.

Later in the night, Bindiya partnered Darham Das to beat Jean-Pierre Simon and Nelson 6-0, 6-1. In another match, Jihad Al Hussami and Raya Dimashky beat Tony Wilson and Mandy Bartlett 6-0, 3-6, 6-1.

In the boys' doubles, Lawrence Harradine continued his good run, partnering Sam McCone, by overcoming Badr Ismail and Hamad Ismail 6-0, 6-4, while Archit Hari and Xerxes Surty outlasted Mark Silva and Daniel 6-3, 7-6.

The veterans' doubles saw Rodney Hall and Vivian Silva passing VV Sukmar and Nader Ali Khan 6-2, 6-3.