Malé, Maldives – Maldivian tennis sensation, Aaraa Aasal Azim has etched her name into Maldivian tennis history after winning the girls’ doubles title at the ITF Maldives Junior Open (J30).
Partnering with Thailand’s Tarita Hongsyok, the duo produced a dominant performance in Saturday’s final, defeating Seunghyun Cho (Korea) and Yishan Xu (China) 6-2, 6-1. The victory marks Aaraa’s third international gold medal in just nine months, following her back-to-back titles at the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) tournaments hosted in the Maldives last December.
A Journey of Dominance
Seeded second in the draw, Aaraa and Tarita showcased composure and consistency throughout the tournament.
Quarterfinals: Defeated Maldivian pair Nayara Usama Ali and Naba Nishan 6-1, 6-4.
Semifinals: Overcame third-seeded Eva-Vlada Anicina-Dzhygurda (France/Russia) and Elizaveta Privalova (Russia) 6-1, 7-5.
Final: Outclassed fourth-seeded Cho and Xu in just one hour, sealing the title in straight sets.
Their competition began with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 first-round win over Wijewardana (Sri Lanka) and Phitchayapak Srimuk (Thailand), setting the tone for what became a near-flawless run.
Naba’s Inspiring Singles Run
While Aaraa celebrated gold in doubles, fellow Maldivian Naba Nishan, just 15 years old, captured hearts with a spirited performance in the girls’ singles.
Naba advanced to the semifinals, making her the only Maldivian player to progress beyond the round of 16. She fell in a hard-fought three-set battle against Korea’s Seunghyun Cho.
Seunghyun took the opener 6-2, Naba responded brilliantly, clinching a 7-6 tiebreak. After over four hours of play, Seunghyun edged the decider 7-5.
Naba’s earlier victories included a quarterfinal win against Elizaveta Zelenova (Russia), underlining her emergence as one of the brightest prospects in Maldivian tennis.
Maldivian duo Muhammad Nooh Nazih and Daoud Shaheeb fell short in the men’s doubles semifinal, losing to Thailand’s Charlie Bazil and Danthai Takong in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3.
