By Sergey Danilov

The first major event this year was the Davis Cup match up between Uzbekistan and Korea. The home team won it and set the tone to all subsequent events. Albina Habibullina becomes the main heroine of the international youthful tournaments in Tashkent and Namangan. Then the time has come for men›s challengers in Andijan and Namangan with US$15,000 prize money each, which is traditionally a good school for young tennis players of the Republic: there were nine Uzbek players in the main grid of each of them, not to mention the qualification round preceding the main event where all perspective players tested their skills.

Every Spring Uzbekistan is not only overflowed by rage of the awakening nature, but a powerful tennis wave as well.

The authority of the hosting country can be admired, which is reflected in arrival of tennis players from Germany, Israel, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic to Uzbekistan, not to mention representatives of Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and a real flow of Russians. But at the same time we remember Asian Tennis Federation President Anil Khanna’s complaint about this situation, who underlined that Europeans block the way to progress to Asian players on the ATF congress passed in Tashkent. Indeed, besides owners, and tennis players of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the Asian continent was represented on these futures only by Indonesian Christopher Rungkat, and that is owing to the wild card of the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation. Both in Andijan, and in Namangan he has only had one win, and then had lost to representatives of the European tennis in the next stage…

Young Uzbek players faced the same problem: only experienced Murad Inoyatov, member of the Davis Cup team, managed to pass further than the first round. In Andijan Murad reached the final after winning over the first racket of the tournament Slovak Camil Capkovic, but only to lose to the tournament’s second seeded Czech Jan Minar in the decisive match – 6/3, 6/7 (3) 3/6. And in Namangan he was stopped in the quarterfinal by the future winner – Almaty’s Alexey Kedryuk (seeded number 3) – 6/3,3/6, 7/6 (5). As we see, both times the Tashkent player was unlucky in the tie-breaks … Inoyatov, by the way, played in the pairs final in Andijan. But they with Ivan Anikanov (Ukraine) were beaten by Byelorussians Andrei Karatchenia and Dmitriy Zhirmont in a super tie-break – 6/7 (3) 6/4, 10-4.

Kedryuk became the winner together with his fellow countryman Syrym Abdukhalikov in Namangan as well. And here again the outcome of the final match against Russians Aleksey Filenkov and Andrey Plotniy was decided in a super tie-break …

Right after that a female tournament with US$25,000 prize money started in Namangan. And in the middle of May there will be a solid men›s challenger with US$35,000 prize money in Ferghana.

01.05.2009

By the material from the "Uzbekistan Today" Information agency

By Alisher Daniyarov

There is a city called Shepparton in the southeast of Australia, Victoria State. The best young men and women teams of Asian-Pacific region gathered here to reveal the strongest in the zone, and to define participants of the Junior Davis Cup and the Federation Cup world finals. Uzbekistan sent two teams to the far continent - Sergey Shipilov, Jahongir Jalolov and Abduvoris Saidmuhammedov with Captain Igor Shelyakin and captained by Oleg Ogorodov his daughter Alisa, Sabina Sharipova and Nigina Abduraimova.

Tennis players of Uzbekistan have won their first Junior Davis Cup zone tournament.

"Participation of young tennis players of Uzbekistan in these competitions confirms productivity of efforts of the state on tennis development in the country, which were reflected, in particular, by the decision on creation of our school signed by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on April 29, 2008," - commented Samuk Abidov, Director of the Republican Tennis School of Olympic Reserve on performance of 16-year-old Uzbek players in Australia. "We only opened on September 1, last year, and already delegated Abduvoris Saidmuhammedov and Sabina Sharipova to the national team. And Igor Shelyakin is trainer of the RTSOR…

"Our girls already won the Zonal Federation Cup last year," - continued S. Abidov. "Our young men, however, had to win the right to go to Australia at the competitions in Myanmar, where they won all their opponents. Boys did not lose a match in Shepparton as well: first they won the group stage by beating their contemporaries from Malaysia and Indonesia with the score 3:0 and were better than the Thai team - 2:1. Then they were better than teams of Japan (1:2) and India (0:3). And in the final the Korean team was beaten in a tough match: after Chun Hon won Jalolov, Shipilov managed to make the score even with a victory over Jeong Suk Yun - 6/3, 7/6 (6). And then amicable efforts of Sergey and Jahongir in the pair match up brought them success - 2/6, 7/6 (3) 6/3. Now guys will play in the Youth Davis Cup world final in Mexico in the beginning of August.

As for the girls, they won teams of Chinese Taipei, Thailand and New Zealand in the group, but could not stand against Chinese girls in the quarterfinal- 1:2. And further wins over girls from Philippines and Thailand gave them only the fifth place.

By the material from the "Uzbekistan Today" Information agency

By Sergey Danilov

ATF President Anil Kumar Khanna (India), who reserved this high supervising post, told journalists about the major decisions after the congress.

The congress of the Asian Tennis Federation, which has passed in Tashkent, became decisive.

“The congress gathered representatives of 19 countries, and we discussed most serious issues of world and Asian tennis. First of all we focused on development of youth tennis on the continent and accelerations of sports growth of professional tennis players. Today it is stirred by the big representation of Europeans on the futures and challengers (the first step tournaments where players gain the important ranking points and money for trips on other competitions) carried out by Asian countries’ national federations. For now Europeans come to Asian futures and challengers and take away everything: points and money. At the same time there are 289 futures and challengers in a year in Europe, while Asia has only 61 in 45 countries. Even South America has 81, where there are only ten states and where players from the Old World do not go to due to remoteness. That is where the local young players win points, and grow into stars …

We are negotiating with the Association of Tennis Professional Players management about introduction of quotas to the Asian tournaments (at least eight challengers), in order to make that at least 50 percent of spots were allocated to players of our continent. Then they will have real chances to increase their rank that will open young tennis players the road on European tournaments, and to earn money for distant voyages. Of course, it is a complicated issue. But presence of the International Tennis Federation vice-president Margets Lobato Juan at our congress, who seriously apprehended our concern to this problem, leaves hope for the positive decision. We will return to this theme during the Wimbledon tournament …

By Sergey Danilov

On the eve of the congress ATF president Anil Khanna (India) gave an exclusive interview to a correspondent of UT.

- Mr. President, the opportunity given to Uzbekistan Tennis Federation to carry out such important event, which is ATF report-back congress election, is a great honor and the display of trust. What factors was it caused by?

Annual congress of the Asian Tennis Federation was held on Wednesday.

- Uzbekistan is one of the most authoritative ATF members, the indisputable tennis leader in Central Asia. It showed its tennis potential to the countries of the continent; within six years (from 2002 to 2007) Uzbekistan excellently coped with carrying out of the championships of Asia. Members of the Asian Federation came here repeatedly and were able to estimate traditional Uzbek hospitality and organizational abilities of the hosting country. Therefore, when the invitation to spend the congress in Tashkent sounded at the board of directors, there were no hesitations about that. Everyone was unanimous: we will be glad to go to Uzbekistan.

This year the Davis Cup is 110 years of age – the most prestigious tennis tournament for men, considered to as an unofficial team world championship. Racket masters of 125 countries, participating in all tournament echelons of the Cup this jubilee year, celebrate this date with their game.

Uzbekistan tennis players participating in the Davis Cup since 1994 have opened next season in the first group of Asia and Oceania zone with the home game against team of the Republic of Korea in Namangan on clay court, which was specially prepared under roof of the “Pakhlavon” sport arena. The competitor of Uzbekistan team, which played under patronage of UzGazOil company, was very strong: Korean tennis players participated in the World Group only a year ago – the elite division, which apart from Koreans themselves and Australians, which left it in 2007, only the teams of India and Japan represented the Asia and Oceania region.  And mastership of the Korean team leader Lee Khyun Thayk was best characterized by achievement of 36th position in the ATP rankings in August 2007.