From 2 to 8 December, the Russian Tennis Cup (deaf sports) was held in Perm at the sports complex “Sporthall”.

A total of 24 athletes from seven regions of Russia participated in this event, including representatives from Moscow City, Perm, Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk territories, Omsk, Samara, and Kursk regions. The opening of the competition featured welcoming speeches from Valery Vykhodtsev, the senior coach of the Russian national tennis team, and Andrey Malakhov, the chairman of the Perm regional ARSFSD branch.

The five-day National Cup competitions included singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. The competition was fierce, especially during the matches between the top contenders and the home team, which boasted a dozen talented athletes. Skilled players showcased their talents with powerful serves, skilful shots, and strategic gameplay tactics.

Polina Smirnova from the Krasnodar region and Vladislav Abramov from the Samara region delivered outstanding performances, securing three gold medals each during the tournament.

Results of the Russian Tennis Cup can be found at this link.

Valery Vykhodtsev, the head coach of the Russian national tennis team, expressed a positive assessment of the event's organization and praised the high skill level of our tennis players, highlighting their readiness to compete for medals on the international stage.

He stated, “The tournament left a good impression; the refereeing and organizational aspects were well-executed. The officials were open to providing clarifications on the evolving rules of tennis (Note: the rule is adjusted annually). The level of play during the competition was commendable, and we were able to identify two promising young players, Agata Pomerova from Omsk and Robert Stavsky from Krasnoyarsk. They are both potential candidates for the national team and future participants in international competitions. With the Cup not being held for 9 years, we feel that its timing was perfect, aligning well with the upcoming Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo.”

Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov, Maria Mazhenina

Photo: Yulia Pechenkina

Translation: Daria Kudelina