ETA Open Ramadan Tournament – Men: Sunday, March 8, 2026 Preview and Order of Play
Date:
08/03/2026ETA Open Ramadan Tournament – Men: Sunday, March 8, 2026 Preview and Order of Play
Under the Dubai night lights, the ETA Open Ramadan Tournament – Men enters the Round of 32 this Sunday with top seed Ralph Rached and a host of in-form contenders returning to hard courts for a prime-time slate.
Tournament Overview
The ETA Open Ramadan Tournament – Men continues in Dubai, bringing Pro Circuit competition to hard courts during evening Ramadan sessions. After a staggered Round of 64, the draw tightens tonight as the first half of the Round of 32 takes the stage across three courts.
- Dates: February 27 – March 15, 2026
- City: Dubai, UAE
- Category: Pro Circuit – Men
- Surface: Hard
- Main Draw: 64 players (Qualifying: 8)
- Official Ball: Wilson Tour Premier
- Entry Fee: AED 210
- Prize Pool: 1000 AED Cash / 1000 Head Voucher / ETA 10 vouchers
- Sessions: Evening play from 20:00 during Ramadan
Tournament page and live updates
Round of 64 Recap – Form Guide
With several byes and a handful of walkovers, the openers still produced clear form lines heading into tonight:
- NICOLA ECCHER (FUT) def. Marwan SAFI (IND) 6-1, 6-3
- ARTEMIY SOLOVEV (IND) def. Oliver VAN DEN BROEK (THE) 6-1, 6-3
- STEPHEN AMPONG (EMI) def. Kenan Joshua SCHLAFSTEIN (IND) 6-2, 6-4
- BENJAMIN SCHLAFSTEIN (RAC) def. Hamed ALDEREI (IND) 6-1, 6-0
- SERGE RACHED (365) def. Yash KUMTHEKAR (FUT) 1-6, 6-4, 10-5 (match tie-break in the third)
- BABAK ALNASSER (IND) def. Luis HORMIGO (IND) 6-2, 6-1
- ANGELOS BOUGAS (IND) advanced via walkover; SURAMYA PANDEY (IND) advanced via bye
- ANMOL CHAUDHARY (IND) and MICHAEL SIBERT (IND) also progressed without expending court time
These straight-sets wins and the evidence of a 10-point match tie-break in deciding sets offer a clear tactical cue for tonight’s contenders: take control early, or be ready for a sprint finish.
Today’s Order of Play – Sunday, March 8, 2026
Round: Round of 32
| Time | Court | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Court 2 | SURAMYA PANDEY (IND) vs ANGELOS BOUGAS (IND) |
| 21:00 | Court 2 | RAPHAEL JURD (RAC) vs NICOLA ECCHER (FUT) |
| 22:00 | Court 2 | ANMOL CHAUDHARY (IND) vs JAVID RZAYEV (ZAY) |
| 20:00 | Court 3 | RADU POP (EMI) vs ARTEMIY SOLOVEV (IND) |
| 21:00 | Court 3 | RALPH RACHED (IND) vs MICHAEL SIBERT (IND) |
| 22:00 | Court 3 | SALIM ALNAQBI (IND) vs DANIEN FEIER (RAC) |
| 20:00 | Court 4 | STEPHEN AMPONG (EMI) vs TIMUR GORDEEV (RAC) |
| 21:00 | Court 4 | PIERRE GIRARD PECARRERE (IND) vs FALAH AL AMERI (PLA) |
| 22:00 | Court 4 | OMAR ABOU ZEID (IND) vs PETR RUDENKOV (IND) |
Spotlight Match-ups
- Ralph RACHED (Rank 1) vs Michael SIBERT – The top seed debuts his campaign under lights. Rached’s first-strike patterns meet Sibert’s compact, countering game.
- Radu POP (Rank 16) vs Artemiy SOLOVEV – Pop’s depth and rally tolerance will be tested by Solovev’s early-take timing after a clean R64 win.
- Suramya PANDEY (Rank 7) vs Angelos BOUGAS – Pandey arrives fresh from a bye; Bougas moves on from a walkover. Expect quick starts in cooler conditions.
- Stephen AMPONG vs Timur GORDEEV – Ampong’s form (6-2, 6-4) faces Gordeev’s shot-making volatility; momentum could swing fast.
- Omar ABOU ZEID vs Petr RUDENKOV – A late-night chess match; both carry byes and bring contrasting tempos on hard court.
Tactical Notes
- First-serve +1 ball: Night sessions reward aggressive serve patterns followed by front-foot forehands.
- Return depth: With several big servers in action, neutralising the first strike with compact backswings is essential.
- Deciders as sprints: Evidence from R64 suggests match tie-breaks to 10 decide third sets; scoreboard pressure can flip late.
Operational Reminder
Matches are slated Start at times; subsequent matches on each court follow immediately after preceding play. Players should report at least 30 minutes before the posted time. Balls: Wilson Tour Premier.
What’s Next
The second half of the Round of 32 is scheduled for Monday evening, with Round of 16 slots on the line. Follow live scheduling updates and results on the official page: