Turkmenistan’s female tennis players defeated the Uzbekistan team for the first time in history at the ATF 12 & Under Team Competition - Central Asia, which started on Monday in Fergana.

For many years, the Uzbekistan women’s team was considered an insurmountable opponent for the Turkmen tennis players. No matter at which tournaments of various age groups these teams met, the Uzbek players always came out on top. And now, this unfortunate tradition for Turkmen tennis has been broken.

In the first singles match, Sulgun Ishangulyeva crushed Odina Hakimova, conceding her only two games in two sets – 6:2, 6:0. In the second singles match, Nazli Hudaykulieva narrowly lost to Milana Zakharova – 5:7, 2:6. And in the third, decisive doubles match, Sulgun Ishangulyeva and Sakhra Garakhanova quite easily defeated Lailo Tukhtamisheva and Milana Zakharova – 6:3, 6:0.

By winning 2:1 against the Uzbek tennis players, who are playing at home and are among the favorites of the qualifying tournament, our compatriots made a strong claim for advancing to the final stage of the ATF 12 & Under Team Competition - Central Asia.

All three of our tennis players train with the Turkmenistan national team under Yuriy Rogusskiy, who serves as the captain of the women’s team at this tournament. Two years ago, under the guidance of this specialist, at the same Central Asia Championship in Ashgabat, the Turkmen boys’ team—composed of Ashgabat players Suleyman Hudayberdiyev, Nazargeldi Amangeldiev, and a graduate of the Turkmenabat tennis school Ali Geldiyev—also achieved a sensational first victory over the Uzbekistan team – 3:0 – and advanced to the final round of the ATF 12U Team Competition.

In the next round, the Turkmen tennis players will face their peers from Kazakhstan, who in the first round defeated the Kyrgyzstan team 3:0.