Wednesday 23 January 2013

Hao Sheng on cloud nine


The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, congratulates Koay Hao Sheng who retained the boys’ Under-14 singles title at the 32nd Tuanku Syed Putra-Milo-Perlis Open International Juniors age-group tennis tournament recently. Pic by K. Kandiah

GEORGE TOWN: Defending champion Koay Hao Sheng won back-to-back titles when he retained the boys' Under-14 singles title by defeating South Africa's Richard Thongoana 6-2, 6-1 in the 32nd Tuanku Syed Putra-Milo-Perlis Open International Juniors age-group tennis tournament recently.
The Perlis-born then partnered Indonesian Christian Alvin Edison to defeat the South African pair of Bertus Kruger and Hugh Morgan 6-2, 6-3 to capture the boys' Under-14 doubles title at the Tennis Complex in Kampung Pondok, Kangar.
This was the second time the national junior had defeated the South African in as many weeks, as earlier at the 29th Penang Open International Juniors Age-Group championship, Hao Sheng had thrashed Richard 6-1, 6-0 at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Tennis Complex in Minden.
The 14-year-old Perlis ace teamed up with Selangor's Adam Ahmad Farid to defeat Muhd Khairil Anas Abd Rahim and Ranveer Singh Ryan of Kuala Lumpur 6-3, 6-4 for the doubles title in Penang.
Hao Sheng, the defending champion for both the singles and doubles titles in Penang and Perlis, has now won back-to-back titles in both the states' international juniors age group championships for the second consecutive year.
The lanky SM Derma, Kangar schoolboy, who aspires to be a professional tennis player, will be sitting for his PMR examination next year. He is ranked third in the junior category in the country.
Perlis Lawn Tennis Association vice president Cheng Joo Chong said the response to the tournament this year was overwhelming as for the first time, the tournament received more than 400 participants.
He said almost half of the participants were foreigners, and they came from the United States, South Africa, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

RESULTS (all finals) -- Boys' Under-10 Singles: Redjepov Marsel (Uzb) bt Chaiyward Phettani Am (Per) 6-4, 6-0.
Doubles: Jung Hwi Jin-Caleb Tay Kai Wei (Kor-Sin) bt Christian Liew-Ishan Devin Nair (HK-KL) 6-7, 6-1, 10-8.
Under-12 Singles: Lim Seung Jun (Kor) bt Lee Won Seok (Kor) 6-0, 6-2.
Doubles: Lim Seung Jun-Lee Won Seok (Kor) bt Danial Ahmad Farid-Christian Didier Chin (NS-Sab) 7-5, 6-2.
Under-14 Singles: Koay Hao Sheng (Per) bt Richard Thongoana (SA) 6-2, 6-1.
Doubles: Christian Alvin Edison-Koay Hao Sheng (Ina-Per) bt Bertus Kruger-Hugh Morgan (SA) 6-2, 6-3.
Under-16 Singles: Ahmad Faiz Shamsuddin (NS) bt Muhammad Asykal Azhar (Pg) 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles: Ahmad Faiz Shamsuddin-Nor Faeezam Said (NS) bt Ong Wei Yao-Trevor Phua (Sin) 6-4, 6-4.

Girls' Under-10 Singles: Oh Yu Gyeong (Kor) bt Kim Yoon A (Kor) 6-1, 6-4.
Doubles: 1 Jittakoat Yingluk-Pirada Suwanarak, 2 Uma Annika Nayar-Alexei Santos, 3 Rawiphon Phatch-Sara Alisha Nayar
Under-12 Singles: Lee Ji Youn (Kor) bt Kurahashi Natsumi (Jpn) 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles: Kurahashi Natsumi-Aina Oigawa (Jpnp) bt Jeon Seon Joo-Shin Eun Sae (Kor) 6-2, 6-1.
Under-14 Singles: Shevita Aulana (Ina) bt Umarova Kamilia (Uzb) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: Hanna Levina-Shevita Aulana (Ina) bt Kim Veronica-Umarova Kamilia (Uzb) 7-6, 3-6, 10-8.
Under-16 Singles: Michelle Khoo Li Sha (Pg) bt Sabrina Tan Hui Ling (Sin) 6-0, 6-1.
Doubles: Berlinda Lim Yih Chyng-Sabrina Tan Hui Ling (Ked) bt Nur Ameerah Azman-Nur Tasnim Muhammad (Per) 7-6, 6-3. - www.nst.com.my