TENNIS – Marat Sharipov of Russia led 12 players into the second round of the men’s singles qualifying draw yesterday in the Bahrain Ministry of Interior (MOI) Tennis Challenger 2025.
Sharipov, the qualifiers’ top seed, defeated Egyptian alternate Karim-Mohamed Maamoun 7-5, 6-2 in their first round clash, which was part of the opening day of action at the Public Security Officers Club in Gudaibiya.
Sharipov will next take on Colin Sinclair of the Northern Mariana Islands in the decisive round of qualification. Their head-to-head will be held today when six available spots in the men’s singles main draw will be filled.
Sinclair, an alternate, secured his place in today’s schedule after upsetting eighth seed Ryan Nijboer of the Netherlands yesterday. Sinclair needed to battle back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Also making it through were second seed Ilia Simakin of Russia, third seed Jelle Sels of the Netherlands, and fourth seed Dimitar Kuzmanov of Bulgaria.
Simakin didn’t need to break a sweat as he won via walkover against alternate Ray Ho of Chinese Taipei. Sels battled past British wild card Ali Habib 6-4, 6-2, while Kuzmanov powered through after defeating Bahraini wild card Yusuf Qaed 6-0, 6-0.
Simakin will take on seventh seed Vitaliy Sachko of Ukraine in the next phase today with the victor punching his ticket to the main draw. Sachko was a 6-3, 6-3 winner against Peter Buldorini of Ireland yesterday.
Sels will next play Evgeny Karlovskiy of Russia, who beat countryman and alternate Ivan Liutarevich 6-1, 6-4 to march through.
Kuzmanov, on the other hand, will lock horns with Fares Zakaria of Egypt, who overcame 11th seed Patrick Zahraj from Germany 6-2, 6-3 yesterday.
Meanwhile, Italian wild card Alberto Bronzetti upset qualifying fifth seed Justin Engel of Germany 6-1, 6-4 to keep his main draw ambitions alive. Bronzetti will next lock horns with Petr Bar Biryukov of Russia, who got the better of Bahrain’s other wild card entrant Elyas Abduljalil 6-2, 6-3.
The last contest today to decide a place in the tournament proper will be between 12th seed Lucas Gerch of Germany and Aleksandre Bakshi of Georgia. Gerch was a 6-2, 6-4 victor against Samir Hamza Reguig of Algeria yesterday, while Bakshi overcame sixth seed Kaichi Uchida of Japan 6-1, 6-4.
The Bahrain MOI Tennis Challenger 2025 is part of this year’s ATP Challenger Tour calendar, under the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The ATP Challenger Tour is the second-highest tier of international tennis competitions, behind only the ATP Tour.
The kingdom’s event, being held for a fourth time, is organised by the Public Security Sports Association. It offers a cool $200,000 in prize money, and it has attracted a host of prominent tennis players from all over the world.
Past singles winners in Bahrain were Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan last year, Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia in 2023, and Ramkumar Ramanathan of India in 2021.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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