Yazdani, 21, 1507, defeated top seeded India Karanshin.
His victory ended a long-standing drought due to Iranian tennis on the international stage. So far, no Iranian has managed to win a single title on the ITF World Tennis Tour despite several near misses. Veterans like Anoosha Shahgholi and Hamidreza Nadaf reached the semi-finals, with Shahin Khaledan coming closest to 2018, finishing runner-up in the ITF final in Georgia.
The atmosphere at Engelab was electricity. At this level, an unusually large crowd gathered at the tournament, highlighting the emotional weight of the moment and the importance of Yazdani’s running against Iranian tennis.
Despite the expectations on his shoulders, Yazdani ultimately remained composed and praised the home crowd for playing a key role in his performance, ITFTENNIS.com reported.
“I have to be very grateful to the wonderful people of my country,” he said. “Without their presence and support, this victory would not have been possible. I will devote this victory to the Iranian kind of people. The energy received from the crowd was incredible.
He also praised his father. He introduced him to sports and stood by his side through the ups and downs.
“I want to thank my dad for teaching me how to play tennis. He always believed in me – sometimes more than I trusted myself.
MNA