Silver medallist of Shenzhen Universiade to perform in Kazan 31.01.2012
January 30 gave a start to the 3rd International Tennis Tournament KAZAN KREMLIN CUP with a prize pool of $75.000. Two Tatarstan players, Daniyal Zagidullin and Aidyn Akhmetshin, that own wild cards will play in the main part of the tournament
4 players from Tatarstan took part in the qualifications that started on January 28. Unfortunately, Konstantin Zhukov, Marat Gilmanov and Ruslan Baimyashkin could not go further than the first round and Salikh Gilmutdinov made it only to the second round of the qualification where experienced tennis players were performing. Among them are 2010 KAZAN KREMLIN CUP winner Michal Przysiezny from Poland, semifinalist of the last year’s Kazan tournament Evgeny Kirillov from Russia and participant of the main draw of Australian Open, that finished on Junary 29, Ilya Marchenko from Ukraine.
The main draw of the tournament starts on January 30. There are 4 athletes from Russia among 22 participants claimed for KAZAN KREMLIN CUP. The highest rank is owned by Teymuraz Gabashvili, the silver medallist of the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen. Right now he is ranked 6th. Evgeny Donskoy is 7th. Alexander Kudryavtsev and Konstantin Kravchuk are also listed in the main draw. Alexander Kudryavtsev made it to the doubles final together with Mikhail Elgin.
Among 22 participants of this year’s tournament are such players that already familiar to Kazan fans as Juergen Zopp from Estonia, who is now 8th in the main list, Sergey Bubka from Ukraine, athlete from Spain Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, Uladzimir Ignatik from Belarus and one more winner of the previous Kazan tournament Jan Mertl from the Czech Republic. Mertl has become the champion of the first KAZAN KREMLIN CUP in doubles. Sergey Bubka is getting more popular among Kazan tennis fans than his father Sergey Bubka Sr, the best pole vaulter ever. Bubka Jr will come to Kazan for the third time. It will be the second time for Uladzimir Ignatenko.
The highest ratings have been given to this year’s newcomers. If Malek Jaziri comes to Kazan, he will become the first African to get on top of the tournament’s list. He is now ranked 122nd, higher than any other participant of KAZAN KREMLIN CUP 2012.
Dzhaudat Abdullin
Special for kazan2013.com
