The tournament buzz continued at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday with plenty of action from young UAE stars at the three-day event.
Day two kicked off with the Mubadala Community Cup powered by Healthpoint winners learning top skills in star player clinics, today the turn of the under 16s to practice their game with world number 14, Feliciano Lopez. Nicolas Almagro also shared his knowledge with winners of the Adult category.
Speaking after his clinic on-court with Lopez, fifteen-year-old Saif Manaa commented: “It was a terrific experience. I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but Lopez gave me the thumbs up once I started. He’s a really kind guy and I hope he goes on to win his match today.”
The excitement continued with an inter-Emirate showdown as winners of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Mubadala Community Cup competitions – and future stars of tennis in the UAE – battled it out for the pride of the nation.
Alex Smith, aged 15, winner of the Mubadala Community Cup under 16s Abu Dhabi-Dubai playoff said: “I’m pleased to get the win for Dubai, it was a good game on both parts and well-played by my opponent.”
Nicolas Almagro also headed down into the crowds for an autograph signing session in the Tennis Village ahead of his fifth/sixth place play-off against Feliciano Lopez. After the match, the pair will play a doubles match against two top Emirati players, Omar Behroozian and Mahmoud Nader.
