Saudi tennis star Yara Al-Hogbani defeats Israel’s Isabell Bilaus in Bahrain semi-final

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s rising tennis star Yara Al-Hogbani on Saturday defeated Isabell Bilaus of Israel in the semi-final of the J5 Isa Town Tournament 2022 in Bahrain.

Al-Hogbani, 18, will now face Russia’s Tamara Ermakova in Sunday’s final.

Fifteen-year-old Ermakova is ranked 634th by the International Tennis Federation and has a 33-24 win-loss record, while Al-Hogbani’s stands at 21-21.

The two previously met in 2021 in the second round of the J4 Isa Town, when Al-Hogbani won 6-1, 6-0.

Al-Hogbani is the first Saudi female tennis player to turn professional and has been registered at Al-Ittihad club since 2018.