ORAN – Sixty-nine (69) players including thirty (30 ladies) from eighteen (18) countries will take part from Monday in the tennis tournament of the 19th edition of the Mediterranean Games-2022 in Oran, scheduled for 27 June to July 1 at the Habib-Khelil tennis club in Hai Salem.
In addition to Algeria with its 8 athletes (4 men and 4 women) involved, seventeen (17) other nations will be present on the courts of the Habib-Khelil Tennis Club, namely: Albania (4), Cyprus (3), Egypt (4), Greece (3), Italy (4), Kosovo (2), Libya (4), Malta (6), Monaco (1), Montenegro (1), Morocco (4), Portugal (4), San Marino (1), Slovenia (4), Spain (4), Tunisia (4) and Turkey (8).
”Frankly, I am very happy with the strong participation which will see the presence of 18 countries. On the organizational side, we are practically on the home stretch. We are mobilized to be up to date from the start of the competition. Also, we are working with the Spaniards for the live transmission and with the Italians for the live scoring (live scores, editor’s note),” tournament director Hamza Khelassi told APS.
Asked about the technical level, Hamza Khelassi, Secretary General (SG) of the Algerian Tennis Federation (FAT), expects a “very high” technical level.
”I admit that the technical level of this meeting will be very high, especially since Top 200 athletes will be among us. I hope the Algerians will have a good run in honoring the national emblem,” he said.
According to the list of participants, the two Italians Matteo Arnaldi (226th ATP) and Francesco Passaro (254th ATP) will be in pole position to dominate the men’s table, alongside the Monegasque Lucas Catarina, silver medalist at the JM of Tarragona (Spain). ) in 2018.
Among the fairer sex, the Turkish Zaynep Sonmez (508th WTA) and the Slovenians Ziva Falkner (544th WTA) and Pia Lovric (565th WTA) start as favorites, except surprise.
In anticipation of these World Youth Days, the federal body has retained eight (8) names (4 gentlemen and 4 ladies) to defend the national emblem on Oran soil. They are Youcef Rihane, Rayan Dylan Ghedjemis, Toufik Sahtali and Samir Hamza-Reguig for men, and Ines Feriel Ibbou, Amira Benaissa, Ines Bekrar and Lynda Benkaddour for women.
The participants will be fixed on their adversaries from today (5:00 p.m. Algerian time), on the occasion of the technical meeting which will be held at the Habib-Khelil Tennis club in Hai Salem, in the presence of the referee, the Frenchman Benjamin Pomportes, designated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Program of the first day / Monday June 27:
10 a.m.: 1/16th final (men’s and women’s singles)
Not before 11:30 a.m.: 1/16 finals (men’s and women’s singles)
3:00 p.m.: 1/16th final (men’s and women’s singles)
Not before 6:00 p.m.: 1/8th finals (men’s and women’s doubles).
