Five-time former champion of Turkmenistan Yuri Rogusskiy regained his title of the country’s number one tennis player with an impressive victory in the men’s singles of the Turkmenistan Cup. In a thrilling final that lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes, Rogusskiy defeated the current champion Meylis Orazmuhammedov with a score of 1:6, 6:3, 7:6 (8:6), according to a report by the publication “Turkmenistan: Golden Age”.
The tournament, dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence, brought together 113 athletes on the courts of the multifunctional stadium “Ashgabat”. The competition was attended by 59 young men and 54 girls from Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary velayats, competing for prizes in singles, doubles and mixed categories.
Rogusskiy’s path to the final was full of challenges. In the quarterfinals, he almost lost to Allanur Dayandzhov, having saved four match points in the second set. The semifinal match against Gurbanberdy Gurbanberdyev lasted 2.5 hours and ended with Rogusskiy’s victory with a score of 6:2, 3:6, 7:5.
The final match was the culmination of the tournament. Despite the fatigue from the previous matches, Rogusskiy managed to turn the game around after losing the first set. The decisive moment came in the tie-break of the third set, where Yuriy saved three match points and finished the match with a spectacular ace.
In the women’s tournament, 17-year-old Aisha Bikbulatova won an unexpected victory. In the final, she defeated Rozhan Karajaeva in a tough fight with a score of 7:5, 7:5.
Yuri Rogusskiy added to his success with a victory in the mixed doubles, where together with 15-year-old Sabina Rahmanova they beat the Didar Vepamyradov/Maral Akhmedova duo. In the men’s doubles, Hajymurad Charyev and Meylis Orazmuhammedov celebrated victory.
