Sidibari
ITF Maldives Junior Open 2025, a J30 tennis tournament of the ITF Junior Circuit, started the qualifying rounds yesterday morning.
The U18 tournament hosted by the Maldives Tennis Association will see a total of 130 international players from around 35 countries participate.
The first round of the singles qualifying featured six Maldivian tennis players. Two of the girls, Nym Ahmed Saleem and Aishath Livia Khatheer, have qualified for the quarterfinals of the qualifying.
Fifteen-year-old Nym faced Aarnavi TomarAura, 16, from India, in the first round. Nym advanced with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 win over Aarnavi. Nym will play against another 16-year-old, Wijewardana from Sri Lanka, this evening.
Livia, 14, had to play against AudreyCheng, 13, from Chinese Taipei. Livia won the game 6-1, 6-4. Livia will play against another 13-year-old – Taejin Jung of South Korea – this evening at the quarterfinals of the qualifying.
Besides Livia and Nym, four other Maldivian tennis players are competing in the qualifying rounds of the girls’ open. Azita Aisha Yamin had lost her game 5-7, 1-6, against Indian player Jahnavi Chowdary Madaramittla. Mal Mohamed, who was seeded into the QF of the qualifying, will go up against the latter this evening. Two other Maldivian girls – Clara Sarena Asif and Zahara Lylie Shiham – will also play in the QF. They will face each other this evening.
Mika Mohamed Kaleem from the boys’ singles division had also qualified for the second round of the qualifying, his opponent Jack Dawson having missed the game. Mika is now set to play against 16-year-old Japanese Takahito Nakano in the QF of the qualifying.
Beside Mika, Ibrahim Zafayaan Mohamed Salaam also competed in the boys’ open qualifying. He was defeated 6-0, 6-0 by an Indian in yesterday’s preliminary round. Simak Sim Jaabir also fought and lost his game 6-0, 6-0 against an Indian, Arsh Kathuria.
