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15 Feb’ 2019
Halep to take on Mertens in Qatar Total Open final
Doha, February 16, 2018-Romania's Simona Halep will take on Belgium's Elise Mertens in the final match of Qatar Total Open on Saturday.
Mertens reached the final match after beating Germany's Angelique Kerber, with President of the Qatar Olympic Committee HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani attending.
In the second semifinals match, Mertens defeated Kerber 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to set up a final with Simona Halep who edged past Elina Svitolina in the first semifinals match.
It is the first final for Mertens in Qatar on only her second try. She defeated another top 10 seed before Kerber when she defeated Kiki Bertens earlier this week.
The Belgian won four WTA titles in her career to date. She will play her sixth final since her career first started in 2013. Kerber meanwhile failed to reach her second Qatar Total Open final. She reached the first one back in 2014, when she lost to current finalist Halep 2-6 and 3-6.
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Qatar’s Younousse and Tijan Sweep into Doha 2026 Tour Quarterfinals
DOHA – Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan underlined their title ambitions with a dominant group-stage display to advance to the quarterfinals of the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour.Competing at the International Beach Volleyball Center of Excellence in Al Gharafa, the Qatari duo swept all three Group A matches in straight sets to secure top spot and progress to the knockout stage in emphatic fashion.They launched their campaign on Saturday with a 21-15, 21-19 victory over Thailand’s Nalphadon and Puravich before producing two commanding performances today. They defeated China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei 21-9, 21-15 and followed up with a comprehensive 21-13, 21-9 win against Indonesia’s Firza and Rizki.The results completed a perfect group-stage record for the Qatari pair, who did not drop a set and emerged as strong contenders for the tournament title.
Qatar Teams Make Promising Start at Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour
DOHA – Qatar’s national teams began their campaign at the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour with 14 matches played on the opening day at the International Beach Volleyball Excellence Centre in Al Gharafa.The competition will continue Sunday with 20 group-stage matches, including 16 men’s matches and four women’s matches.Qatar 1 and Qatar 2 made winning starts in the men’s competition, while Qatar 3 suffered a narrow defeat against their Australian opponents.Qatar 1, represented by Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Thailand’s Nopphadon and Puravich, winning 21-15 and 21-19 in Pool A.The victory marked an ideal start for the Qatari duo in their first appearance since winning gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where they made history by securing their third consecutive Asian Games gold medal, following their triumphs at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.Qatar 2, comprising Mousa Al-Khair and Mohammed Ehab, also began on a winning note, defeating Saudi Arabia’s Wafi Al-Jasser and Ali Al-Awami 21-6 and 21-11 in straight sets in Pool C. Al-Khair and Ehab had previously claimed silver at the third West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour event in Doha.Meanwhile, Qatar 3, represented by Saifeddine Al-Majid and Mahmoud Essam, went down 2-1 to Australia’s Howat and Bennett. The Qatari pair took the opening set 21-19 before their Australian opponents fought back to win the second 21-15 and the deciding set 15-11.In other men’s matches, Lebanon’s Hadi Al-Shabib and Jad Abi Karam defeated Japan’s Takahashi and Ikeda 21-18, 21-18 in straight sets in Pool B.Thailand’s Nittithorn and Watcharawut overcame Indonesia’s Imam and Firouz 21-12, 23-21, while Australia’s Merritt and Walker beat China’s Li Xiaokai and Sun Xinglong 21-18, 21-10.Australia’s Bushby and Schumann also secured a straight-sets victory over China’s Dong Shaoquan and Hong Weiqiang, winning 21-18 and 21-15. China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei recorded an identical scoreline against Indonesia’s Firza and Rizki.In the women’s competition, Qatar 2, represented by Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem, lost 2-0 to Japan’s Rin and Non in Pool B, with set scores of 21-4 and 21-5.Qatar 3, comprising Aisha Al-Alawi and Nelly Amr, also suffered a straight-sets defeat, losing 21-7 and 21-5 to Thailand’s Narawornrabat and Worapiratchayakorn in Pool C.
Qatar win silver and bronze medals at 2026 West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour
Doha: Qatar’s men’s “1” team won the silver medal, while the women’s “1” team claimed a historic first bronze medal as the third round of the 2026 West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour concluded at the Al Gharafa International Beach Courts.Qatar’s men’s “1” team, comprising Mousa Al-Khair and Mohammed Ihab, finished runners-up after losing 2–0 (24–22, 21–19) to Bahrain “1” in the final.The Qatari pair had reached the final with a 2–0 (21–13, 24–22) victory over Lebanon “1” in the semi-finals.In the women’s competition, Qatar “1”, represented by Haya Abu Issa and Leila Mohammed, secured bronze with a 2–1 (13–21, 21–19, 15–12) win over Bahrain in the third-place play-off.The Qatari team had lost 2–0 to Lebanon “1” in the semi-finals. Lebanon “1” went on to claim the title, defeating compatriots Lebanon “2” by two sets to one in the final.The round featured 15 teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, with strong competition across both the men’s and women’s events.Qatar had a strong presence in the women’s competition, fielding four teams. Haya Abu Issa and Leila Mohammed represented Qatar “1”, while Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem competed for Qatar “2”.
Doha to Host Asian Open Beach Volleyball Tour
Doha: Doha will host the Asian Open Beach Volleyball Tour- Doha 2026 from October 10 to 13, featuring 16 men's and 11 women's teams representing Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Indonesia and Qatar.Qatar's participation is highlighted by top-ranked men's pair Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who lead the standings with 4,660 points.The duo are coming off a gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, marking their third consecutive Asian Games title after previous victories in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.They also won gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games in China last April and were named Asia's Best Men's Beach Volleyball Players for the 2025–2026 season.Qatar will field three teams in both the men's and women's competitions.Alongside Younousse and Tijan, the men's teams include Mousa Al Khair and Mohamed Ehab, and Saif Al Deen Al Majid and Mahmoud Essam.In the women's event, Qatar will be represented by Haya Abu Essa and Laila Mohamed, Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem, and Aisha Al Alawi and Nelly Amr.The official proceedings begin on Friday with team registration and the announcement of the match schedule. Competition gets underway Saturday with the group stage, followed by the remaining group matches and Round of 16 on Sunday.The quarterfinals and semifinals will be held Monday, with the men's and women's finals scheduled for Tuesday, October 13.