Dubai: Riya Matharoo of India defeated UAE national player Sheikha Al Janahi in straight sets to win the inaugural Sharjah Women’s Tennis Championships held earlier this week.

Matharoo won 6-1, 6-0 in a field that attracted 14 players, including ten Emiratis of various abilities in a tournament that promises to be a regular on the UAE tennis scene.

Issa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council was joined by Sarah Baqer, Member of the Board of Directors at UAE Tennis Federation and the supervisor of women’s sports and Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Women’s Sports in handing over trophies to new champion and the runner-up.

Baqer was pleased with the level shown by the young participating women in this inaugural edition of the competition.

“In the first place it will be a challenge for us to continue with this competition along with the hope that we have more such tournaments planned for girls and women in the UAE,” Baqer said. “Tennis is such a sublime sport and it can bring like-minded athletes of different abilities together. This, in turn, can help in the development of sport while giving women the opportunity to shine and gain self-confidence and competitiveness. We are clear on our objectives of further developing tennis, especially for our girls and women of the UAE while trying to have more sponsors and organisers on board.

“A tournament like this one will not only help and encourage the spread of tennis at all age levels, but start getting girls and women involved at the grassroots. I am convinced that a tournament like this one will play a historic part in the overall development of the sport in the country.

The event was jointly organised by the UAE Tennis Federation along with Sharjah Women’s Sports.