ABEDALLAH Shelbayh’s hope of winning the Bahrain Tennis Challenger received a major boost in the event being organised by the Public Security Sports Federation.
In his quarter-final tie of the ATP Challenger Tour, being held at the Public Security Officers Club in Gudaibiya, Shelbayh stunned the tournament’s top seed, Australian Jason Kubler, in a thriller winning 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (2).
The 19-year-old Jordanian rising star, who has a ATP ranking of 399, started the match well and managed to shock his opponent who is ranked much higher at 79.
However, the 29-year-old Kubler fought back in the second set which he won to extend the match to a third and deciding set.
The final set was a neck and neck affair as both players put in their best efforts, but it was Shelbayh who prevailed with some solid performance and outstanding stamina to secure the set and match for a berth in the semi-finals.
The Jordanian will now take on Italy’s Salvatore Caruso, who beat compatriot Lorenzo Giustino 7-5, 6-2, in the semi-final today.
The other semi-final will see Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany taking on eighth-seeded Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia.
Struff defeated Czech sixth seed Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-4 while Kokkinakis shocked second-seeded compatriot Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the other quarter-final matches earlier.
The men’s doubles semi-finals also took place yesterday with the pair of Filipino Ruben Gonzales and Brazilian Fernando Romboli defeating Czech Roman Jebavy and partner British Johnny O’mara 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 to set up their final clash today with the duo of Finnish Niklas Salminen and Dutch Bart Stevens, who defeated Roman Arniudo of Monaco and Austrian Sam Wisborn 6-2, 2-6, 10-4.
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