Dubai: Tunisia, France and Belgium began their campaign on a winning note in the 25th Al Nasr Leisureland (ANL) Nations Cup tennis that commenced late on Thursday.
With former Davis Cup players Essam and Waleed Jallali in their side, Tunisia overcame Nigeria 2-1 even as former champions Belgium secured an identical 2-1 win over the Philippines, while France easily blanked India 3-0.
Hosts the UAE ‘A’ also started off with full points with a 3-0 result after Ukraine failed to turn up.
Samuel Omoile won his singles 6-3, 6-4 against Mohammad Quba to give Nigeria the lead, while Waleed Jallali levelled the tie for Tunisia with a 6-0, 6-2 result against Umaru Balami. The Jallali brothers then received a walkover from the Nigerians to secure the tie and collect full points.
“This is the first experience for me at the Nations Cup. I feel the sensation of being part of a Davis Cup team, although without the pressure,” Essam told Gulf News.
“There are some good teams in this tournament, and I think our team can be counted as one of the favourites. The teams from Syria, France, UAE and Belgium are also playing at a good level and I can see these advancing to the semi-finals,” he added.
Action will continue daily with matches starting at the ANL tennis courts at 4pm with the final scheduled to be played on February 14.
Results
Group A: UAE ‘A’ bt Ukraine 3-0 (walkover); Belgium bt Philippines 2-1. Group B: Tunisia bt Nigeria 2-1; France bt India 3-0
