Turkmen tennis players took fifth place out of 18 teams at the preliminary qualifying tournament of the ITF World Junior Championship in the Asia-Oceania zone among girls under 14 years old, which ended in Isa Town (Bahrain).
The Turkmenistan team was represented by an 8th-grade student of the capital's School for Gifted Children named after Atamyrat Nyyazov Aylar Kakabayeva, a 6th-grade student of Ashgabat Secondary School № 87 Nazli Hudaygulyyeva and a 6th-grade student of Ashgabat Secondary School № 90 Sahra Garahanova.
In the first stage, our compatriots won in Group «C», defeating the teams of Bangladesh - 3:0 and Oceania - 2:1. Then in the quarterfinals, in a tough fight, they lost to their peers from the Philippines - 1:2. And in the match for 5th place, they beat the Maldives team with the same score.
The fate of this meeting was decided in the singles matches, in which Nazli Hudaygulyyeva won against Ayshat Livia Khatir - 6:1, 6:4, and Aylar Kakabayeva beat Keyara Osama Ali - 6:2, 6:4. In the doubles match, which was no longer of great importance, Sara Garahanova and Nazli Hudaykulyyeva lost to the duo of Keyara Osama Ali and Ayshat Livia Khatir in a super tie-break - 1:4, 4:2 [7:10].
So, the Turkmen tennis players completed their performance in the preliminary qualifying tournament of the ITF World Junior Championship in the Asia-Oceania zone, showing the best result in all the years of participation in these competitions. They prepared for them under the guidance of personal coaches and the captain of the women's team of Turkmenistan, Yuriy Rogusskшy. Aylar Kakabayeva trains with Jennet Hallyyeva, Nazli Hudaygulyyeva with Atlymyrat Kurbanov, and Sahra Garahanova with Malik Mammetgulyyev.
The final was between the teams of Sri Lanka and Indonesia, which won the right to compete in the final stage of qualification to be held in Malaysia from the 2nd to 7th of April, 2025. The match ended with the victory of the Indonesian tennis players - 2:0. And in the match for 3rd place, the Lebanese team won against the Philippines - 2:1.
Remind that the ITF World Junior team competitions, organised by the International Tennis Federation jointly with the Asian Tennis Federation, are held among girls and boys of two age groups - up to 14 and 16 years old. Both tournaments allow young tennis players to test themselves in international competitions and experience the unique atmosphere of team play, representing their country.
