Russia’s Marat Sharipov and Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja won the boys’ and girls’ singles trophies respectively at this year’s Fujairah ITF Junior Championships, completed over the weekend.
Sharipov was forced to work hard for the trophy at the Fujairah Tennis & Country Club, eventually prevailing from a set down to win 5-7 6-4 6-1 against Eric Vanshelboim of Ukraine in the final.
Meanwhile, Semenistaja cruised to a straight sets victory in Saturday’s showpiece match, downing India’s Muskaan Gupta in quickfire fashion, 6-4 6-1.
After winning the boys’ singles crown with a narrow three-set victory, Sharipov said: “The opponent was strong but I believed that I could win the match. I never gave up and that’s why I won.”
Rising stars: Darja Semenistaja (l) and Marat Sharipov (r).
Having scooped the top girls’ prize Semenistaja credited her win to the support she received off the court.
She said: “My mom and sister have always been a strong support for me and to have them both at the match made me very confident.”
In the girls’ doubles, it literally was a double for Semenistaja, who fresh from her singles triumph, teamed-up with Merija Semenistaja to down India’s Malikaa Marathe and Mahin Qureshi of Pakistan 6-2 6-2.
Meanwhile, the boys’ doubles final was won by pair Joe Leather and Yusuke Tamaki.
The Brit-Japan double-act saw off Poland’s Mikolaj Lorens and Hungary’s Peter Sallay in a closely-fought contest, 7-5 7-5.
The tournament concluded with a prize giving ceremony by Tennis Emirates officials as well as Sarah Clay, the club manager of the Fujairah Tennis & Country Club and July Tabora, the club’s head tennis coach.
On-court: The prize giving ceremony.