Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Jul 8: Mangalorean teenager and tennis sensation Rikeetha Pereira has won the girls under - 14 singles and doubles (partnering Pakistan's Eman Quraishi), at the Asian Tennis Championships in Syria, recently.
"It is definitely a good feeling to win a singles title. And when we won the doubles, I sure did get a great boost to my confidence," Rikeetha said. "I hope I can carry forward this confidence into this week's competition in Damascus and return to Dubai with a clean sweep," she added.
Meanwhile, Kareem won the singles and ended doubles runner-up in the boy's competition. Both Rikeetha and Kareem have received a first-round bye in the singles at the ATF U - 14 competition being held at the Mouhafaza Club, Damascus this week. "I have teamed up with Eman in the doubles this week too and I hope we can repeat our performance," Rikeetha said.
Eman, who turns 13 later this month, was equally thrilled to taste success in the doubles, and that too, after teaming up with an Indian partner. "We hit it off very well and iwas fun playing with her," she
said. "After last week's experience there are so many things to learn from and I feel confident that we can win this week too," she added.
Rikeetha on the other hand is planning to return to Dubai, after which she will head to the Nick Bollettieri Academy in the US for a summer programme. The 12-year-old Rikeetha represented UAE at the UK Grand Prix last year and emerged runner-up, she also won Nike Juinior Tour Master in 2009.