Saudi women’s tennis player Yara Al-Haqbani defeated her Russian opponent to win the J5 Isa Town tournament in Bahrain. The talented 17-year-old beat Russian Tamra Ermakov in two sets 6-4, 6-2 in Sunday’s final. This is the second time the two have met.
Yara Al-Haqbani defeated Ermakova in two sets 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the 2021 J for Isa Town tournament. With the current victory, Al-Haqbani’s winning record surpasses her losses. So far she has faced 21 defeats. But the win went up to 22. Yara Al-Haqbani is currently ranked 946 by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Al-Haqbani defeated Israel’s Isabel Bilas in the semi-finals of the Bahrain tournament on Saturday. Born in 2004, Yara Al-Haqbani is the first female tennis player to represent Saudi Arabia at the professional level. Women’s participation in sports is on the rise amid a wave of reforms sweeping the country that have lifted many restrictions on women.