Yew Ming wins third leg

Si Yew Ming (picture) received a much-needed boost ahead of next month's Davis Cup by lifting his third straight National Circuit men's singles title in the third leg at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Top seed Yew Ming was expected to be given a hard time by the unseeded Juan Los Santos but the national No 1 easily won 6-1, 6-2 in an anti-climax final.
Los Santos's efforts in the tournament, however, should be applauded as the 18-year-old defeated a string of high ranking players, including second seed Abdul Hazli Zainuddin, Khoo Er Yang and Razlan Razi in his first competitive tournament since last December.
His coach, S. Selvarajoo, said Los Santos has the potential to achieve greater success in tennis if he trains harder.
"His dream is to turn professional and play in the Futures but to do that, he needs to dedicate his time to the sport," said Selvarajoo yesterday.
Los Santos will lead the Selangor team in the Malaysia Games next month.
In the women's singles, national champion Alyssa Boey defeated Thailand's Kamonwan Thongsaner 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

RESULTS: Men's singles -- Tier 1: Si Yew Ming bt Juan Los Santos 6-1, 6-2; Tier 2: Syed Mohd Ariffin bt Syed Azhar 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles -- Tier 1: Abd Hazli Zainuddin-Ashaari Zainal bt Chong Zhia Hwa-Ahmad Deedat Razak 6-1, 6-2; Tier 2: Mohd Azrin-Mohd Hafizuddin bt Shafiq Iqmal-Sarjie Izmal 6-3, 6-2.

Women's singles -- Tier 1:Alyssa Boey bt Kamonwan Thongsaner (Tha) 6-3, 6-3; Tier 2: Ti Jia Min bt Serena Nicole Tang 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- Khoo Chin Bee-Ti Jia Wei bt Alyssa Boey-Jane Chong 6-0, 6-1.-NST

Los Santos-Yew Ming final

JUAN Los Santos continued to defy the odds in the by reaching the National Circuit third leg men’s singles final at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Los Santos ousted fourth seed Khoo Er Yang 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 in a three-hour semi-final battle.
He relied on his big serves and near perfect forehand game to dispose his more fancied opponent.
The 18-year-old, who is playing in his first tournament since December, plays top seed Si Yew Meng for the title.
Yew Ming, who is leading the national Davis Cup squad in next month’s Group III event, defeated 16-year-old Ahmad Deedat Razak 6-3, 6-4 to qualify for his third straight appearance in the final on the circuit.
“I want to win the title,” declared Los Santos. “Yew Ming, I believe, is the best player in the country but I don’t fear him. If I want to be the best, I must beat everyone.”
In the women’s singles, national champion Alyssa Boey marched into the final when she defeated R. Archnaah 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
She plays Thailand’s Kamonwan Thongsaner, who thrashed Tan Jia Yi 6-0, 6-0, in today’s final.
Alyssa also reached the doubles final with Jane Chong, and they will play Khoo Chin Bee-Ti Jia Wei.

Los Santos in semis

UNSEEDED Juan Los Santos continued his impressive form in the National Circuit third leg by reaching the men’s singles semi-finals at the National Tennis Circuit (NTC) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday
Las Santos, who is playing in his first tournament since December, created the tournament’s biggest upset when the 18-year-old toppled second seed Abdul Hazli Zainuddin 6-2, 7-5 in the quarter-finals.
The youngster quit tennis rather abruptly after the National Hardcourt Championships last December before accepting former national coach S. Selvarajoo’s offer to return to competitive tennis in this event.
Los Santos, a former top 150 ranked player in the ITF world rankings, is using the tournament to prepare for next month’s Malaysia Games, where he will represent Selangor.
His decent show in the ongoing third leg has caught the eye of many in the tennis fraternity. However, Los Santos needs to focus on his game as he has a big semi-final match against fourth seed Khoo Er Yang tomorrow.
Er Yang, who is coached by former national champion V. Selvam, hammered national champion Syed Agil Syed Naguib 6-1, 6-0.
The Los Santos-and-Er Yang semi-final encounter is expected to be an explosive affair as neither of them has ever made the final of a National circuit event.
“It will be our first meeting. Both of us are playing well here but there can only be one winner tomorrow (today). I hope to give my best,” said Los Santos at NTC.
The other semi-final pits top seed Si Yew Ming and third seed Ahmad Deedat Razak, who both will represent the country in next month’s Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group III event in Sri Lanka.
Yew Ming eased past B. Kanagaraj 6-3, 6-0 while Ahmad Deedat edged Ashaari Zainal 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in their respective quarter-final matches.
Meanwhile, the top two seeds in the women’s singles were sent packing in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Eight seed Alyssa Boey, upset top seed Ti Jia Wei 6-3, 6-3 to set-up a semi-final match against fifth seeded R. Archnaah, who defeated unseeded Nur Eliza Khairul 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
Unseeded players will battle it out in the other semi-finals. Thailand’s Kamonwan Thongsaner overcame second seed Jane Chong 6-2, 6-3 while Tan Jia Yi cruised past third seed Svea Zuber 6-3, 6-3.

Yew Ming in quarters

Si Yew Ming (picture) easily advanced to the quarter-finals of the National Circuit third leg by hammering Carlos Rubio 6-1,6-1 at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.
The top seed faces former international B. Kanagaraj, who edged Mohd Fazree Said 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-4.
Comeback kid Juan Los Santos continued his excellent run in the event.
The 18-year-old easily overcame Indonesian-born Marco Setipu (6-2, 6-1) and 10th seed Razlan Rawi (6-2, 6-1) to set-up a quarter-final clash against former national player Ashaari Zainal tomorrow.
Los Santos is competing in his first tournament since last December.
Others in the quarter-finals are national champion Syed Aqil Syed Naguib, Ahmad Deedat Abd Razak, who are both Davis Cup trainees and second seed Abdul Hazli Zainuddin.

Yew Ming to lead young team in Davis Cup

SI Yew Ming will lead a young team in next month’s Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III competition in Sri Lanka.
The other Davis Cup trainees are Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam (picture), Ahmad Deedat Razak, Nazim Khan and Chong Chia Hwa.
The youngest player in the squad is Ahmad Deedat, who turns 16 on June 18. The Selangor-born was picked after doing well in the recent Junior Davis Cup qualifiers.
Top juniors Khoo Er Yang, Assri Merzuki and Christian Lee were also called up for trials, which began on May 13, but the trio pulled out due to various reasons.
Pearljit Singh, who was not initially in the list, was allowed to attend training but did not make the final cut.
Davis Cup captain Deen Heshaam Tan Abdullah will name his four-member squad early next month.
“Except for Yew Ming, the others are below 21. The tournament will definitely give a good exposure to the young players,” said Deen Heshaam yesterday.
“Our aim, however, is to earn promotion to Group II next year. It will be tough but I believe my players can achieve the target in Sri Lanka.”
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, Oman, Vietnam and UAE will be split into two groups with the top two teams in the event earning promotion to Group II next year. The last two placed teams will be relegated to Group IV.
The Group III competition will be played on outdoor clay at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts in Colombo on June 15-18.
“We will be moving our training base to Jakarta on May 25. The 13-day camp will help my players adapt with the clay surface. We will leave to Sri Lanka on June 8,” said Deen Heshaam, who hails from Kuching, Sarawak.
Deen Heshaam confirmed that Yew Ming is the automatic choice for the event while the other trainees will need to fight for the other three slots in the team.
On why several top players were not short-listed for selection, Deen Heshaam said those interested should have submitted their requests.
“We posted a note on the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) website (www.ltam.org.my) regarding it,” he added.
Syed Aqil Syed Naguib, the last year’s National Hardcourt champion, alongside Ashaari Zainal and Abdul Hazli Zainuddin were among the players left out.

Tennis and Unity

Selangor's top tennis coaches will share their experiences and skills with participants at the weekend's Unity Tennis Carnival.
The carnival, which was incepted in 2007, will be held at the MBPJ Tennis Centre in Kelana Jaya.
Selangor Tennis Association (STA) president Datuk Abdul Malik Mohd Salleh (picture) said the carnival's objective is to promote unity and friendship through tennis.
"This event is unique as it combines fun activities and tennis. Participants will also get a chance to gain a few tips from our top coaches," said Abdul Malik at the launch of the event last Sunday.
Nestle Sports marketing manager Ng Ping Loong, SportsUnite sports club chairman Datuk Dina Rizal and former Davis Cup captain Rahizam Rahim were among the attendees at the function.
"It will not be a competitive event but merely for parents to have fun with their kids," said Abdul Malik.
The carnival will start with a junior tennis camp followed by a mini tournament for parents.
On the final day, an American Style doubles competition will be organised for participants.
The American Style event will involve junior and senior players of both genders. The players will be divided into two playing groups identified by their skill level.
The carnival, organised by STA and the Petaling Jaya City Council, is sponsored by SportsUnite, Gatorade and Nestle Products.

Los Santos wins opener on his return to tennis

JUAN Los Santos made a return to competitive tennis with an impressive victory on the opening day of the National Circuit third leg at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Los Santos, who turns 18 in June, proved he had not lost his touch by hammering Hidayat Hashim 6-0, 6-0 in just over an hour in the first round.
The youngster left the scene abruptly after losing in three sets to national number one Si Yew Ming in the quarter-finals of last December’s National Hardcourt Championships.
“It feels good to be back. I really enjoyed my first round match. I did not really give up tennis. I just wanted a break from the sport,” said Los Santos at NTC yesterday.
“I am now motivated to go all the way. My aim is to get serious and hopefully I will be ready to play in the Futures (lower tier competition for professional players) soon.”
Los Santos, who last year was among the top 150 ranked junior players in the world, will lead the Selangor team in next month’s Malaysia Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“I was in two minds to return to the game before Selangor coach (S.) Selvarajoo coaxed me in giving it another try. It is too early to say whether I would be ready for top level tennis but I am definitely hoping to play in the ATP Tour Malaysian Open this year,” added Los Santos.
The opening day of the third leg saw no upsets as all the seeded players safely negotiated the opening two rounds of the men’s singles. Yew Ming and Abd Hazli Zainuddin are the top two seeds in the event.

T&A Tennis Concept are champions

PETALING JAYA: T&A Tennis Concept emerged champions in the CIPCGLOBAL/STA Inter-Team Tennis Doubles League at the Kelana Jaya Sports Complex recently.
The Petaling Jaya-based club, led by former national player B. Kanagaraj, edged Big Ace 2-1 in the final.
The matches, held simultaneously, were decided over three doubles ties -- men's open doubles, Masters - 35-44 age-group and Veteran 45 and above.
Andrew Loi-Jonathan Phang earned T&A first point by edging Youhardy Yahya-Ahmad Najib 2-6, 6-3, 10-5 in the Masters match.
T&A's Andy Keel-Marco Winter played superbly to beat Zakaria Othman-Muhd Jaafar 6-2, 6-2 in the Veteran category.
National champion Syed Agil Syed Naguib and Mohd Fazreee Said blanked Yofi Hadi-Kanagarah 6-1, 6-4 for Big Ace's sole point.
T&A earned RM3,000 for their efforts while Big Ace received RM2,000.
T&A manager Thomas Phang commended his team for their fighting spirit and determination after their victory.
"They were at their best throughout the tournament which had attracted some of the top clubs in the Klang Valley," said Thomas.
"It was a difficult final as Big Ace had several good players including national champion Syed Agil. I am happy that they kept their focus to win the title"
Petaling Jaya City Council (PJCC), captained by S. Prasad, the son of former national coach S. Selvarajoo, defeated PJ Club 2-1 to clinch third spot.
In the semi-finals, T&A defeated PJ Club 2-0 while Big Ace edged PJCC 2-1.
The annual tournament, organised by the Selangor Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA), attracted seven teams. Fuzzy Balls, HyTech and BJ Es-tate Spinners were the other participants.
SLTA president Abdul Malik Mohd Salleh and honorary secretary Tengku Mohamed Tengku Harun gave away the prizes. - source NST

Syed Aqil not in the picture

SYED Agil Syed Naguib (pix), the national hardcourt champion, has not been short-listed for Davis Cup trials.
And why wasn't he considered? Go ask the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM)... You will probably get answers like..."no standard....no commitment"
According to some of my mates in the tennis fraternity, Syed Agil is not in their good books.... The youngster apparently did not have good things to say about a certain training stint in Barcelona....
Those invited to attend the pre-selection trial, scheduled from May 13-15 in Kuala Lumpur, are Si Yew Ming, Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshnaam, Ahmad Deedat, Mohd Assri Merzuki, Mohd Nazim Khan, Khoo Er Yang, Christian Lee
The team will then train on clay in Jakarta (May 16-June 6) before heading for Sri Lanka to play in the Group Three Davis Cup event.

Malaysia finish 13th

South Korea justified their status as the top seeds after they edged Japan 2-1 to clinch the top spot in the Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying Event for boys for the World Junior Team Championship at the Sarawak Tennis Lawn Association (SLTA) centre on Saturday.
Hong Seong Chan suffered a first set scare in the first singles when he lost 6-7(7) against Yusuke Takahashi. However he recovered strongly to win 6-0, 6-0 in the next two sets to give South Korea a 1-0 lead.
Jumpei Yamasaki pulled back a point for third seeds Japan by defeating Kang Ku Keon 6-2, 6-3 in the second singles to force the tie into a decider.
Hong Seong Chan then partnered Lee Duck Hee to beat Yusuke Takahashi and Jumpei Yamasaki 6-3, 6-3 in the doubles to hand South Korea the victory.
In the play-off for third and fourth, fifth seeds India also edged fourth seeds China 2-1, with Sahil Deshmukh beating Zhong Su-Hao 7-5, 6-3 in the first singles while Zhou Xu-Fan claimed China’s only point by beating Sumit Nagal 6-1, 7-5 in the second singles and Garvit Batra-Sahil Deshmukh defeating Zhong Su-Hao and Zhou Xu-Fan 7-5, 0-6 and 7-5 in the doubles.
Finishing fifth were Australia who beat Thailand 2-1 while Chinese Taipei thumped Hong Kong 3-0 to claim the seventh spot.
Uzbekistan whitewashed Indonesia 3-0 to finish ninth and the 11th spot was claimed by New Zealand who emerged 3-0 winners over Yemen.
Malaysia scored their second win in the tournament when they whipped Syria 3-0 to claim the 13th spot while winless Sri Lanka finished last after losing 1-2 to Singapore.
SLTA president Dato Patrick Liew presented certificates to the teams that finished in the top four of the event.
The qualifying event for the girls will commence on Monday where 16 teams are also vying for four spots at stake to qualify for the grand final of the World Junior Team Tennis Championship in Prostejov, Czech Republic in July. -soure Borneo Post

Malaysia continue battle in relegation play-off

Malaysia, who finished last in Group B, will play New Zealand in a relegation play-off tie at the Asia-Oceania World Junior Under-14 Qualifiers in Kuching today.
The team, led by Koay Hao Sheng were beaten by Australia (3-0), Thailand (3-0) and Indonesia (2-1) in the group stage.
Malaysia’s point over Indonesia was earned by 13-year-old Tony Chin.

Group B
Thailand bt Malaysia 3-0 (Nawakarn Khunjan bt Koay Hao Sheng 6-3, 6-1; Kittinut Chittipornsan bt Tony Chin 6-1, 6-4; Thanapol Chaingam-Kittinut Chittipornsan bt Koay Hao Sheng-Talhah Rahizam 6-1, 6-3).

Indonesia bt Malaysia 2-1 (Achad Imam Ma’ruf bt Talhah Rahizam 6-1, 6-0; Tio Juliandi Hutahuruk lost to Tony Chin 7-5, 2-6, 3-6; Akbar Hasian Hasibuan-Achad Imam Ma’ruf bt Tony Chin-Koay Hao Sheng 6-2, 6-4).

Favourites top respective groups

Favourites South Korea, Australia, Japan and India kept their momentum on the second day of the Asia-Oceania Final Qualifiers (World Junior Tennis boys) U-14 tournament, in Kuching on Tuesday.
Korea notched their second win in Group A by breezing past Uzbekistan 3-0.
Korea’s Hong Seong Chan blanked Sultanov Khumoyunhon 6-0, 6-0 while compatriot Kang Ku Keon defeated Karimov Jurabek 3-2 (ret).
In the doubles, Seong Chan-Lee Duck Hee trashed Sultanov-Kutibaev Sanetulla 6-0, 6-1.
Favourites Australia hardly raised sweat in their 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Group B.
Jake Delaney started the ball rolling with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Hasibuan Akbar Hasian while teammate Jasika Omar hammered Hutahuruk Tio Juliandi 6-1, 6-0.
Delaney and Marc Polmans completed the rout by defeating Hasibuan-Imam Ma’ruf Achad 6-1, 7-6 (8-6) in the doubles.
Thailand also whitewashed Malaysia 3-0 in another group match.
Japan and India lead Group C and D, respectively with two wins each.

Australia win opening tie in Kuching

OMAR Jasika won both his singles and doubles matches to guide second seeds Australia to an effortless 3-0 victory over Malaysia in a Group B tie of the Asia-Oceania World Junior Under-14 Qualifiers in Kuching on Monday.
Omar breezed past Koay Hoa Sheng 6-3, 6-1 before earning Australia's third point in the doubles with Jake Delaney. The pair, however, dropped the opening set before winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 over Hao Sheng-Talhah Rahizam (pic).
In the second singles match, Marc Polmans hammered Tony Chin 6-1, 6-0.
The Malaysian team are competing in the tournament only for exposure purposes.

RESULTS - Group A: Korea bt Singapore 3-0, Chinese Taipei 2 Uzbekistan 1; Group B: Thailand bt Indonesia 3-0, Australia bt Malaysia 3-0 (Omar Jasika bt Koay Hao Sheng 6-3, 6-1; Marc Polmans bt Tony Chin 6-1, 6-0; Jake Delaney-Omar Jasika- Koay Hao Sheng-Talhah Rahizam 4-6, 6-3, 6-1); Group C: Japan bt Yemen 3-0; Hong Kong bt Sri Lanka 3-0; Group D: China bt Syria 3-0; India 2 New Zealand 1 (Sahil Deshmukh bt Connor Heap 6-1, 6-2; Garvit Batra lost to Kyle Butters 6-3, 6-7(4), 4-6; Sahil Deshmukh-Sumit Nagal bt Kyle Butters-Kiranpal Pannu 6-0, 6-2).

Australia win Junior Fed Cup Qualifiers

Australia’s Junior Fed Cup team have mirrored the success of their Junior Davis Cup counterparts to finish on top in the Asia–Oceania qualifying final in New Delhi on Sunday.
The second-seeded Australians – Brooke Rischbieth, Belinda Woolcock and Ashleigh Barty (pic) – also overcame the top seeds Japan in the final just like the Davis Cup team did less than two weeks ago.
Woolcock kicked off proceedings with a three-set win over Japan’s Mami Adachi, 6-2 3-6 6-2 to give Australia a 1-0 lead.
Barty faced a tough task as she dropped the first set against her opponent, Miho Kawase. It was the first set the 15-year-old Australian had dropped all week. But all it did was spur Barty into action. The Queenslander clicked into gear and dropped just two games for the rest of the match as she claimed the rubber 6-7(5) 6-2 6-0.
The win gave the Australians an unassailable 2-0 lead, so the dead rubber doubles was not played. Chinese Taipei defeated Thailand 2-0 for third place.
The Junior Fed Cup team and Davis Cup team now progress to the final, which will be played in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, later this year.

Relegation pay-off result: Malaysia 2 Sri Lanka 1 (Shankari Thayakaran bt Aslina Chua 6-2, 6-3; Choo Lyn YUen bt Vinuri Wicramaratne 6-0, 6-3; Choo Lyn Yuen-Ti Jia Wei bt Dinushki Ranasinghe-Shankari Thayakaran 6-2, 3-6, 6-1).

Final ranking - 1 Australia, 2 Japan, 2 Chinese Taipei, 4 Thailand, 5 South Korea, 6 Kazakhstan, 7 Indonesia, 8 New Zealand, 9 India, 10 Hong Kong, 11 Philippines, 12 Uzbekistan, 13 Singapore, 14 China, 15 Malaysia, 16 Sri Lanka - source: www.tennis.com.au and www.itftennis.com

Malaysia beaten again

THE national Junior Fed Cup team suffered a 2-1 loss to China in a relegation play-off tie at the Asia/Oceania Qualifiers in New Delhi on Friday.
Xu Shi Yu defeated national No 1 Ti Jia Wei 6-3, 6-1 before Qu Jia Xiu gave China an unassailable 2-0 lead with an effortless 6-2, 6-1 win over Choo Lyn Yuen.
Shi Yu-Jia Xiu conceded a walkover to Jia Wei-Lyn Yuen in the doubles.
Malaysia played Sri Lanka in a late 15th/16th placing tie yesterday.