AMMAR Alhogbani scripted a new chapter yesterday in the ‘Believe it or Not’ series by exceeding all expectations and winning the boys singles title in the Sixth Bahrain ITF Tennis Championship at the Bahrain Tennis Club courts in Juffair.

The Saudi-born American wild card rallied from a set down to beat top seed and firm favourite Kareem Allaf of Syria 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 in a thrilling final.

Allaf, who had won the doubles title on Friday with Sherif Makhlour of Egypt, was in line for a double but Ammar dashed his hopes with another inspiring performance.

The 16-year-old, who regularly plays at the academy level in the US and Spain but yet to be ranked, stepped up his game when it mattered the most and eventually tamed the top seed, his fourth seeded victim in the tournament.

Allaf came into the final having lost only eight games and not a single set and when he won the first set in a tie-breaker it seemed as if he was in total command.

But Allam, who had dropped just one set on way to the final – to Sherif in the semi-finals – had other ideas. He bought his ‘A’ game to play in the second set and won it 6-4 and in the third he seemed in irresistible form winning it 6-2 to seal the title.

Unseeded

Another unseeded player Viktoria Marvoyova was the other giant-killer of the tournament. She beat another unseeded player Lara Bitter of Turkey to win the girls singles title on Friday.

The girls doubles title was won by third seeds Luciana Rabines of the US and Emelie Luisa Schwarte of Germany who upset the top seeds Lamos Alhussein Abdel Aziz of Egypt and Rikeetha Pereira of India on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, under whose patronage this tournament was held, presented the prizes to the winners.

The event was held in cooperation with the General Organisation for Youth and Sports and sponsored by Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo, Bapco and Solidarity/Takaful Company.