Viennese Ricardo Bellotti on Saturday led the dance in the Boys’ Singles Final of the ITF U/18 world ranking tournament which came to its conclusion at the Marsa Sports Club where it had been going on for more than a week.

The tournament was organised jointly by the Malta Tennis Federation and by the Tennis Section of the Marsa Sports Club and was mainly sponsored by Galbani as well as by Gasan Mamo, San Michel and Wilson.

Bellotti beat a very strong opponent in Germano Giacalone from Palermo who incidentally was the winner recently of an all-comers tournament in Sicily.

Wolfgang Thiem, Bellotti’s coach, commented that his youngster played a steady game from the baseline from where he unleashed precise and searing forehands to his opponent’s flanks. Final score was 6-4, 6-3 against Giacalone who could not use the tricky ploys he usually produces on clay.

Another strong player, Jade Windley from the UK had to succumb by 3-6,4-6 to the steadier and much younger Ksenia Kirillova from Moscow in the girls’ singles final.

In the girls’ doubles final the interesting tussle between Sofie-Oyen and Ann-Sophie Mustach from Belgium and the Czech girls Martina Pradova and Kristina Marova ended with the former’s 7-5, 6-3 victory. The boys’ doubles final was a walkover for Laurinas Grigelis and Arthur De Greef after their Italian opponents declared forfait due to illness.

The participants and their coaches were of one accord in praising the organisation and the venue of the tournament. Tournament director Godfrey Bonello presented trophies to the winners in the presence of MSC Tennis Section officials.