Ali Thameem
Fifteen-year-old Maldivian tennis player Manha Mohamed Ali has pulled off a stunning victory to defeat the top-seeded girls’ singles player at the ITF Maldives Junior Open.
At the first round of girls’ singles, Manha won yesterday’s game in a thrilling three-set. She seized the first set via a tiebreak, winning 7-6, but was defeated 6-0 in the second. She recomposed herself for the third set and won it 6-4.
The player she defeated, 18-year-old Tamara Ermakova from Kazakhstan, is ranked among the top 800 junior tennis players in the world.
“Really proud. I am so thankful for my coaches who were there with me”, said Manha after the game via local media Javiyani MV. “I couldn’t have won this match without them… Whenever I was doing a mistake, they helped me figure out a solution”.
“It was really tiring. It was a really long match, but i tried to keep pushing myself,” said Manha. “I knew I could do it. I know everyone else also believed in me.” she added that this was a big win for her career and a huge confidence boost.
Manha will face a Russian player, Elizaveta Zelenova, in the round of sixteen of girls’ singles.
The boys’ singles and the first round of girls’ doubles games are scheduled to be played on Tuesday. Manha will pair up with Karin Saizan to take on an Indian duo.
