Manama: Elyas Abdulnabi was crowned champion of the 36th Gulf Petrochemical Open Tennis Championship, organised by Bahrain Tennis Club from November 12 to 26. According to Bahrain News Agency, the event concluded with a final match attended by Yasser Abdulrahim Al Abbasi, CEO of Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), Dr. Hassan Eid Bukhammas, Member of Parliament and Member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and National Security Committee, Khamis Mohammed Al Muqla, President of Bahrain Tennis Club, and club member Dr. Faisal bin Radhi Al Mousawi. The final, which featured Bahraini players for the second consecutive year, underscored the steady progress of Bahraini tennis in reclaiming its leadership in the sport. Elyas Abdulnabi defeated Yusuf Qaed in a match showcasing contrasting performances across the two sets. Abdulnabi started strongly, leveraging powerful serves and groundstrokes to take a 3-0 lead before Qaed secured his first game to narrow the gap to 3-1. However, Abdulnabi regained control, applying pressure with deep shots to win the first set 6-2. The second set began more evenly, with both players holding serve until Abdulnabi secured a crucial break, ultimately clinching the set and match 6-2, 6-4. This victory marked Abdulnabi's third championship title, having previously won in 2017 and 2018. Despite his strong performance throughout the tournament, Yusuf Qaed experienced misfortune in the finals, as he also lost last year's title match to Hassan Abdulnabi. The final match, officiated by Bahraini referee Ahmed Al Hawaj alongside assistant referees from Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain, drew a large audience that filled the main court at Bahrain Tennis Club. The event also received significant media coverage, including a live broadcast of the final on Bahrain Sports Channel. During the closing ceremony, the President of Bahrain Tennis Club commended GPIC for its support since the tournament's inception in 1987. He noted the growing participation from local, expatriate, and Gulf players, with t his year's tournament featuring 220 players competing across 10 categories. The ceremony concluded with the awarding of prizes to winners across various categories: Super Doubles: First place - Hassan Abdulnabi and Elyas Abdulnabi; Second place - Janji Soquino and Nino Remonde. Men's Singles: First place - Ahmed Mohamed Al Sayed; Second place - Gilbert Sinocruz. Men's Doubles: First place - Jic Jic Bohol and Gilbert Sinocruz; Second place - Fahad Sarwani and Ignacio Melgarjo. Veterans Singles (45+): First place - Salem Al Awwad; Second place - Cassius Pereira. Veterans Doubles (45+): First place - Salem Al Awwad and Abdulaziz Salem; Second place - Eshtikar Al Nemr and Zuhair Moshgy. Veterans Singles (55+): First place - Cassius Pereira; Second place - Norman Abastillas. Veterans Doubles (55+): First place - Kamal Khonji and Kamal Al Bahraini; Second place - Kadri Rizk and Stalin Joseph. Women's Singles: First place - Jawairah Noordin; Second place - Hanna Espinosa. Women's Doubles: First place - Jaw airah Noordin and Ellen Espinosa; Second place - Thess Corral and Natalia AbuKhouskaya. Super Singles: First place - Elyas Abdulnabi; Second place - Yusuf Qaed. The tournament highlighted the high calibre of competition and reinforced its status as a key event in the regional tennis calendar.
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