JEDDAH: Elimination rounds in the year-end 8th Albaik Tennis Tournament 2016 ended at the sprawling facilities of Trio-Ranch Country Club with major clubs dominating the cast of semifinalists in various categories. The tournament is expected to conclude by next Friday.
Defending champion in categories Lower Mix and B2, Issham International, bannered by Uricane Tennis Club, looks likely to duplicate the feat this year by taking the top spot in the Lower Mix with a 5-0 unbeaten record and will face Saudia City Tennis Club (SCTC) next week for a place in the finals. In the other semifinals bracket SGS Tennis Racquet Club tackles Jeddah Ranao Tennis Club who holds a 4-1 win-loss record.
In B2 resurging Hidada Tennis Club, which is atop the leaderboard, will face a tough challenge to march into the finals as it plays SCTC, which beat Hidada 3-1 during the elimination round.
Meanwhile, Jeddah Ranao Tennis Club (JRTC) remains a formidable foe as their teams are through to the semifinal rounds in all five categories of the tournament.
After a dismal performance last year without capturing a single title, JRTC is set to regain its spot in the finals particularly in Middle Mix category where it topped the group.
Elaf earlier defeated ASTEC-Middle Mix team 3(31)/1(20) to seal its place in the semi-final knockout round via a win-over-the-other rule and will square off with JRTC, its tormentor during the elimination rounds, albeit in a 2-2 score. However, SCTC, in second place in the ranking, remains the team to beat as it has better set-scores won of 10 compared to JRTC’s 7 in 4 matches.
The Ladies Division is likewise in full swing and will be highly charged as the audience is expected to swell to show support to their respective teams during the weekend finals in the Higher Mix and Lower Mix categories. Perennial club rivals SCTC (Saudia City Tennis Club) and JISTC (Jeddah International Tennis Club) will clash for the top honors in ladies tennis in both categories. It will be remembered that in last year’s episode Red Sea Tennis Players (RSTP) and Uricane Ladies got the better of SCTC in the finals and, for this year, SCTC could bounce back from those defeats.
Organized by Astec under the helm of Chairman Bernie Soguilon, Tournament Director Marlon Delfin, and Francis Idjao and Jun Atienza as advisers, this 29th Astec tournament is presented in partnership with Albaik Food Systems, Inc., and is supported by Deltaz Marketing, Sky Freight Forwarders, Sports Track, and Qatar Airways.
Defending champion in categories Lower Mix and B2, Issham International, bannered by Uricane Tennis Club, looks likely to duplicate the feat this year by taking the top spot in the Lower Mix with a 5-0 unbeaten record and will face Saudia City Tennis Club (SCTC) next week for a place in the finals. In the other semifinals bracket SGS Tennis Racquet Club tackles Jeddah Ranao Tennis Club who holds a 4-1 win-loss record.
In B2 resurging Hidada Tennis Club, which is atop the leaderboard, will face a tough challenge to march into the finals as it plays SCTC, which beat Hidada 3-1 during the elimination round.
Meanwhile, Jeddah Ranao Tennis Club (JRTC) remains a formidable foe as their teams are through to the semifinal rounds in all five categories of the tournament.
After a dismal performance last year without capturing a single title, JRTC is set to regain its spot in the finals particularly in Middle Mix category where it topped the group.
Elaf earlier defeated ASTEC-Middle Mix team 3(31)/1(20) to seal its place in the semi-final knockout round via a win-over-the-other rule and will square off with JRTC, its tormentor during the elimination rounds, albeit in a 2-2 score. However, SCTC, in second place in the ranking, remains the team to beat as it has better set-scores won of 10 compared to JRTC’s 7 in 4 matches.
The Ladies Division is likewise in full swing and will be highly charged as the audience is expected to swell to show support to their respective teams during the weekend finals in the Higher Mix and Lower Mix categories. Perennial club rivals SCTC (Saudia City Tennis Club) and JISTC (Jeddah International Tennis Club) will clash for the top honors in ladies tennis in both categories. It will be remembered that in last year’s episode Red Sea Tennis Players (RSTP) and Uricane Ladies got the better of SCTC in the finals and, for this year, SCTC could bounce back from those defeats.
Organized by Astec under the helm of Chairman Bernie Soguilon, Tournament Director Marlon Delfin, and Francis Idjao and Jun Atienza as advisers, this 29th Astec tournament is presented in partnership with Albaik Food Systems, Inc., and is supported by Deltaz Marketing, Sky Freight Forwarders, Sports Track, and Qatar Airways.
