Bulgarian national player Iliya Petkov qualified for the final of the volleyball tournament within the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament 2026 in Dubai, after his team Al Tadaui won the first semi-final against Al Samaui with a score of 3:1 (25:21, 23:25, 25:22, 27:25).
The match lasted 115 minutes and offered an extremely hard-fought battle, especially in the fourth set, in which Al Tadaui managed to close out the match after a dramatic 27:25 and secure their place in the tournament final.
The winners of this semi-final practically represent a combined team from the Italian clubs Cuneo and Grottazzolina, with Bulgarian national player Iliya Petkov being part of this formation.
Solid match for Petkov
The Bulgarian middle blocker played the entire match and finished with 5 points, all of which were scored from attack. Petkov was targeted 6 times in offense, converting 5 of them for an excellent 83% efficiency. Additionally, he served 12 times, committing only one service error.
Scorers for the winners
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Michele Fedrizzi | Al Tadawi | 19 |
| Lorenzo Sala | Al Tadawi | 14 |
| Lorenzo Codarin | Al Tadawi | 11 |
| Ivan Zaytsev | Al Tadawi | 10 |
| Iliya Petkov | Al Tadawi | 5 |
Al Tadaui's attack was well distributed among several key scorers. Michele Fedrizzi was the top scorer with 19 points, followed by Lorenzo Sala and Lorenzo Codarin. Ivan Zaytsev's experience also made a significant impact with 10 points. Petkov contributed with high efficiency in offense, demonstrating stability despite a limited number of attacks.
Top scorer for Al Samawi
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Anton | Al Samawi | 22 |
Despite the defeat, Anton was the top scorer in the match with 22 points, carrying the main attacking load for Al Samawi.
Semifinal statistics
| Category | Al Samawi | Al Tadawi |
|---|---|---|
| Attack points | 52 | 49 |
| Block | 11 | 11 |
| Aces | 5 | 5 |
| Opponent errors | 25 | 35 |
| Positive reception | 47% | 51% |
The statistics show an extremely balanced semifinal. Al Samawi had a slight advantage in attack, but Al Tadawi compensated with better reception and more points from opponent errors. These details, as well as a more stable performance in the key moments of the fourth set, tipped the scales in favor of the winners.
Following this success, Al Tadawi awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Min Investment and Yaazar, which will determine their opponent in the tournament final, scheduled for March 7th at the NAS Sports Complex in Dubai.
photo:Cuneo Volley
