TEREZA Mihalikova capped her brilliant run with a befitting double yesterday in the Bahrain ITF Futures Tennis Tournament at Bahrain Tennis Club Courts in Juffair.
The sixth seed from Slovakia, ranked 511, beat seventh seed Russian Anna Kalinskaya, ranked 595, 7-5, 6-1 to claim the women’s singles title and a lion’s share in the $10,000 prize money along with some precious ranking points. The duo then combined to win the women’s doubles beating Hering Katharina of Germany and Zimmermann Kimberley of Belgium 7-5, 6-3 in the final.
In the men’s section, top seed Scott Griekspoor of the Netherlands lived up to his top billing by beating third seed Yannick Made of Germany to claim the title, and also a lion’s share in the $10,000 prize money along with some precious ranking points. But the Dutch, ranked 331, had to endure his third three-setter in the tournament, beating Maden, ranked 547, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Defeat
However, unlike Mihalikova, Griekspoor could not complete a grand double as he and his brother Tallon went down fighting to the US pair of Silverman Cameron and Vega Quinton 6-0, 6-3 in the men’s doubles.
Present at the prize distribution ceremony were Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs Hisham bin Mohammed Al Jowder, the King’s Advisor for Youth and Sports Affairs Saleh Bin Isa Bin Hindi, chairman of Bapco Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, managing director of Bahrain Duty Free Abdulla Bu Hindi, plants operation manager at GPIC Yasser A.Rahim Alabbasi, chairman of executive committee of Solidarity Khalid bin Yousuf Janahi, Turkish Ambassador Hatun Demirer, president of BTC Khamis Al Muqla and BTC honorary president Dr Ali Fakhro.
The event was held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and sponsored by GPC, Solidarity Group and Bahrain Duty Free.