All-Russian and UAE boys finals

Second seed Andrei Plotniy won an all-Russian battle with fifth seed Evgeniy Donsky to advance to the boys under-18 singles final at the ITF Junior Tennis Championships being played at the Dubai Country Club.

Plotniy, who was a losing semifinalist here last year, won 6-1 7-5 and will now meet third seeded Russian Stas Zhuravski in today's big match.

Zhuravski beat compatriot and sixth seed Sergei Melikhov 6-4 6-2.

Khalid Al Hussani and Faisal Bastaki ensured that the boys' under-14 title would remain in the UAE by winning their respective semifinals yesterday.

Al Hussani brushed aside Canada's Rashid Abu Aisha 6-1 6-1 while Bastaki was in equally compelling form against Britain's James Harvey, whom he defeated 6-2 6-2.

Donsky had no answer for the more powerful game of his opponent Plotniy although he did put up a semblance of a fight in the second set.

Plotniy, who is ranked 226 in the world, served steadily and was in control throughout the match.

His opponent in the final, Zhuravski, also looked a notch superior above his semifinal rival, Melikhov.

He was the better player tactically and worked hard to establish consistency in his overall game.

The girls' under-18 final will be fought out between top seed Jaklin Alawi of Bulgaria and France's Charlotte Rodier. Alawi beat fourth seed Lisa Summerer of Austria 6-2 6-1 while Rodier accounted for unseeded Linda Abu Mushraf of Bahrain.

Alawi, whose has a Syrian father and European mother, has not dropped a single set en route to the final.

Results: (Prefix denotes seeding)

Boys' (under-18) Singles

Semifinals: 2- Andrei Plotniy (Russia) beat 5-Evgeniy Donsky (Russia) 6-1, 7-5; 3-Stas Zhuravski (Russia) beat 6-Sergei Melikhov (Russia) 6-4, 6-2.

Boys' (under-14) Singles: Semifinals: Khalid Al Hassani (UAE) beat Rashid Abu Aisha 6-1, 6-1; Faisal Bastaki (UAE) beat James Harvey (Britain) 6-2, 6-2. Girls' (under-18) Singles: Semifinals: 1-Jaklin Alawi (Bulgaria) beat 4-Lisa Summerer (Austria) 6-2, 6-1; 3-Charlotte Rodier (France) beat Linda Abu Mushraf (Bahrain) 7-5 6-3. Girls' (under-14) Singles Semifinals: Ludmyla Kichenok (Ukraine) beat Sarah Moundir (Switzerland) 7-5, 6-4.

Khalid Al Hussani and Faisal Bastaki ensured that the boys' under-14 title would remain in the UAE by winning their respective semifinals yesterday.