By Ghizlane S. Idrissi
By Ghizlane S. Idrissi
Morocco World News
Fez, May 13, 2012
For its twelfth time, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Grand Prix of Princess Lalla Meryem Tennis Tournament took place at the Royal Tennis Club of Fez. The tournament is usually held from April 21 to 28.
Such an international event couldn’t be missed by Moroccan fans of this famous international game as the entry was free and open for all the interested people in tennis, and especially since two popular international Moroccan players, Nadia Lalami and Fatima-Zahra El Allami were participating, as well as other Moroccan players like Intissar Rassif, Fatima Erraji, and Ghita Benhadi.
The tournament was very competitive from its start as many of the international and the professional tennis players were participating, which made it hard for the Moroccan athletes to reach the semi-finals and the finals.
Players like Simona Halep and Chanelle Scheepers succeeded in making it to the semi-finals, but for some reasons couldn’t advance to the finals. They left the opportunity to players such as Alexandra Cadantu and Irina Camelia Begu as well as to other players like Panova Cetkowska and Alexandra Panova to compete for the doubles title along with Kiki Bertens and Laura Pous Tio for this year’s singles title.
The Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens, indeed, did her very best to win the tournament and so she did, without doubt, deserved the title. Expressing all her happiness for her first tournament victory, after all her long hard work, she said in this regard: “In the beginning, I was very nervous and she started well, but after I won the first set all my nerves were gone”
Then, she became jubiliated “I love it here, I was here for one week because I played the qualifiers too, so I’m a little bit tired now, but I’m going to celebrate tonight and then go back home.”
She continued, “I’m excited. I’m going to play more tournaments now and try to win more.”
For the Spanish player, Laura Pous-Tio, for who, this tournament is the fourth tournament to participate in, said, “It has only been a few months since I’ve been back and only my second tournament on clay, so I’m still happy with the result.” “In the final she started attacking more and everything started going faster – she played a very good match today.”
Pous-Tio went on to say: “This is one of my favorite tournaments. For a long time I’ve been coming here and people are always very, very kind and give you everything, and I like the courts and the club too, so everything is just perfect here in Fez.”
She added: “I’m sure I’ll be back next year, and the next one and the next one!”
For the WTA doubles title, this went to Cetskovska and Panova. For Panova this was her third victory in the tournament, while for Cetskovska, it marked her second.
Edited by Benjamin Villanti
Ghizlane Staouti is a Moroccan national. She is a third year student of English and Cultural Studies at the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez. She worked as a language partner and a tutor of Arabic and Moroccan Arabic with the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) American Program in summer time of 2011. She also worked as an organizer with the National Competition of Creative Writing. Currently, she is an active member of the Moroccan Association of Friends of English (MAFE). (Email: [email protected])
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