SLTA ready to host Asian U-14 Series

KUCHING: The Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) continues its hardwork in putting Malaysia in the world tennis map with president Dato Patrick Liew announcing yesterday that the highly anticipated Eighth edition of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Asian U-14 Series tournament will commence here from Sept 5 to 9.

According to Liew, the tournament has been and will always be a platform for young and aspiring tennis players to gain useful experience and also improve their world rankings. It will be a very useful exposure for them.

He assures youths who participate in the competition, especially those who came from far, will not go home empty-handed as there will be no knock-out phase in the tournament. All players stood a chance to play equal number of matches and will be ranked accordingly after the competition.

“We (SLTA) were the first to organise an Asian U-14 tennis tournament, sanctioned by the ITF in this country. We were also among the earliest in Asia,” he added.

Liew continued that it is essential for those who aspire to play tennis seriously to start at a very young age. He is especially serious about the development of youth tennis here in the country.

“We can see now that more Asian tennis players are becoming professional tennis players. There is indeed a future for tennis here in this continent,” he said.

Giving out a piece of advice, Liew told The Borneo Post yesterday that local junior tennis players should be grateful that there is an international-class tournament held right here in Sarawak.

They need not travel abroad for exposure or experience.

In another development, Liew also informed that organising a tennis tournament is not an easy task and admitted that it would be nice if there are more sponsors who are willing to co-operate with SLTA. With the sponsors, it will help SLTA continue its work in organising more world-class tournaments in Sarawak.

A total of 55 boys and 26 girls tennis players will represent their respective countries at the Asian U-14 Series tennis tournament next month.

Twelve countries have registered for the competition including Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Iran, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

Among the players to watch during the tournament is Malaysia’s very own Koay Hao Sheng who is ATF ranking number seven, the highest in the tournament.

Alvin Teng Wee Jie is another player to watch as he is a local Sarawakian, ranked 109 in the ATF.

“Let’s see how well Malaysia do compared to the other countries in Asia in tennis. It will be exciting to see how well we do as we really harbour the ambition to be among the best tennis countries here in Asia,” said Liew at the end of the interview. -- http://www.theborneopost.com

Baker Boy gets first KL maindraw wildcard

The world of tennis often has stories that capture the imagination of fans and followers of the sport, and the stories of those individuals become quite inspirational. In 2012 one such story is that of the comeback of Brian Baker, the American tennis player who for almost a decade was not able to compete on the Tour because of injuries and surgeries.

Now, at the age of 27 he has been given a second chance. Since late April, Brian Baker has been on a wonderful journey and that journey will be making a transit stop in Kuala Lumpur, as the ATP World Tour weaves its way through Asia in a month’s time.

IMG’s Nick Freyer, Tournament Director of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur today announced that Brian Baker has been given the first main draw wild card for the event to be played 22 to 30 September at the Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil.

“We are excited that Brian has accepted the first singles main draw wild card,” Freyer said. “His story is truly inspirational; to think that a year ago he was coaching a college team in the United States having undergone five major surgeries to include a repaired elbow, hip and more.

“His comeback has been one of the most talked about stories in tennis and his determination to never give up has allowed him to move his world ranking from the deepest depths, to now be at a career high of 70. His story is one of THE sports stories of 2012 and our very welcoming tennis fans will have the opportunity to congratulate him for his achievements live when he plays the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur.”

From the US Open in New York where he is playing, Baker sent his thanks to the tournament.

“I am really pleased and appreciative to receive a wild card for Kuala Lumpur,” Baker said. “I have not made many trips to Asia and this would be my first time coming to Malaysia, so I am really looking forward to seeing a new city and a different culture. I’m sure it is going to be a fascinating experience and something quite different as this amazing year continues for me.”
As a junior, Baker was ranked two in the world – he was a finalist at the French Open juniors losing to Swiss No.2 Stan Wawrinka and won the prestigious Orange Bowl, but not long after he began to play the regular tour, the injuries started.

What should have been breakthrough results were interrupted as injuries and more injuries followed. Three different hip surgeries, a sports hernia and reconstructive surgery on his elbow, a year missed due to osteochondritis on the left femur in his kneecap, requiring surgery to shave down bad bone and take bone chips from his hip, and on it went. He even became injured playing Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon qualifying in 2005 and retired after two games.

Most would have given up any dreams and hopes of following a path in pro tennis. Baker was heading the same way but still in the corner of his mind there was some hope and belief that one day, the dim light at the end of the tunnel would get brighter. He was not prepared to let things go completely.

While coaching at a college he was also managing to play inter-club tennis with his father and uncle, Baker began to feel healthy. Earlier this Summer, he won a Challenger in Savannah, Georgia which gave him the USTA’s wild card for the French Open. He then went to Nice where he qualified and reached the final of the ATP 250 tournament; the journey that became the inspiring story had begun.

At the French Open he reached the second round where he took Gilles Simon to five sets on Court Philippe Chatrier. Next was Wimbledon and this time he qualified and then reached the last 16. It meant he had won six matches, in essence the number of matches one requires to reach a Wimbledon final.

“This whole year has been incredibly special for me,” Baker said. “It wasn’t that long ago when I wondered about my tennis future with all the time I had spent away from the circuit because of my injuries and surgeries, but I am a pretty competitive guy and I love this sport and that kept my hopes and beliefs alive.

“Getting the French Open wild card and doing well there allowed me to say that I was back. It has been like a whirlwind journey and very exciting to be a part of, while getting to enjoy so many new experiences which I am sure Kuala Lumpur is going to be another one.”

So seven years after the last time he played a full season on the tour, Brian Baker has a new lease of life with his career, and Kuala Lumpur is getting the chance to see what this “Baker Boy” is all about.And as part of this first wild card announcement, the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur is just as excited to reveal the 2012 version of its’ signature competition played daily after every centre court match, the “Catch the Ball Challenge”. On the last three days, Friday to Sunday, a Rado watch worth RM 6,600 each will be available as the Grand Prize of the day.

Freyer added: “One of our goals every year with the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur is to make sure our wonderful fans get to watch great tennis but most of all have fun and enjoy an experience to remember.

“Our player field is tremendous with players like David Ferrer, Juan Monaco, Alex Dolgopolov, Kei Nishikori, Sam Querry, Ryan Harrison to name a few and now Brian, and no doubt activities like our “Catch the Ball Challenge” with its prestigious Rado Grand Prizes will be right up there in the fun stakes.”

For more information on the Brian Baker story, see the links below :-
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE-Tennis/DEUCE-US-Open-2012/Brian-Baker.aspx
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/2012/Uncovered/Episode-23/ATP-Uncovered-S4-E23-Brian-Baker.aspx
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303610504577416491590179670.html

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: : Local Media Director, Malaysia, Mr. Ghaz Ramli at 60-16 243 0848 or email : ghazoo21@gmail.com --- source - Malaysian Open official website

Nikesh still top gun in Penang

All the category winners celebrating at the Penang Sports Club Tennis Hub in George Town recently. Pic by K. Kandiah

NIKESH Singh Panthlia has reestablished himself as the best tennis player in Penang.
He retained his Penang Closed men's singles title after defeating former champion Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 at the Penang Sports Club Tennis Complex in Jalan Utama recently. After losing the first game to the former Penang No 1, Nikesh went on the offensive and never gave his opponent any opportunity to recover in the following two games.
Nikesh, the top seed, was the state champion between 2007-10 but had to play second fiddle to Muhammad Noor Noordin. Last year, in the absence of Muhammad Noor, Nikesh won the title by defeating Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu,
But Nikesh, 27, was denied a double when he and partner Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan pulled out of the doubles competition due to the former suffering a muscle pull.
In the men's doubles, 28-year-old Muhammad Noor, a former national player, and Jesril Jamel thrashed unseeded pair, Alvin Chew and Kelvin Khong 6-2, 6-2.
In the women's singles final, Loo Shi Pei created the biggest upset of the tournament when she toppled top seed Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
The three-day annual tournament featured seven categories: the Men's, Women's and Veterans singles and doubles, and the Open mixed doubles.
The competition, which offered RM2,600 in prize money, was hosted by the Penang Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA).
The uniqueness of the competition was that all the matches were played on grass courts, unlike the conventional hard courts in many places.

RESULTS: Men's singles semi-finals: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Mahesh Sivaramakrishnan 6-3, 6-0; Muhammad Noor Noordin bt Johnson Ooi Jing Wuu 6-1, 6-0. Final: Nikesh Singh Panthlia bt Muhammad Noor Noordin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Losers' Pool semi-finals: Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam bt Brian Lee How Cheng 8-2; Neoh Khai Keat bt Chan Kai Lun 8-4. Final: Neoh Khai Keat bt Ahmad Aq'l Ahmad Nizam 6-2, 6-0
Women's singles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha bt Chin Lih Jean 6-1, 6-0; Loo Shi Pei bt Cherylene Tan Sui Ling 6-2, 6-1. Final: Loo Shi Pei bt Michelle Khoo Li Sha 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles semi-finals: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Kristi Ong Jun Ling-Joselyn Loh 6-1, 6-2; Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-2, 6-2. Final: Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Chin Lih Jean bt Karen Tang-Ngiam Li Siok 6-0, 6-0. - www.nst.com.my

SLTA set to host Asian U-14

KUCHING: The highly anticipated Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) Asian U-14 tournament will be back again for the eight consecutive year at the courts of the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) here from September 5-9.
SLTA president Dato Patrick Liew said he expected Asia’s top under-14 players from around 15 countries to come to Kuching for the competition.
He also confirmed last year’s winners from Uzbekistan and Hong Kong will be returning to defend their titles.
“I am excited about this tournament as this is one the tournaments that we have been waiting for in our yearly calendar. It is a platform to groom new and rising talents in tennis,” he added.
“We hosted this tournament last year and it was a huge success. We are also committed to give the best again this year (in organising the tournament)” informed Liew.
For the record, Hong Kong’s Jack Wong Hong Kit was the boys’ champion, beating his nearest rival Kareem Allaf of Syria.
In the girls category, last year’s winner Sarvinozhon Saidhujeva defeated Taiwan’s Chien Pei Ju in the final.- http://www.theborneopost.com/

Ferrer heads list of top players for the Malaysian Open

PETALING JAYA: The ATP Malaysian Open at the Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, from Sept 22-30 promises to be a blast with 19 of the world’s top 55 players on parade.
World No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain is the top seed and the biggest name. He will be joined by countryman Feliciano Lopez, the popular Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, towering American Sam Querrey and 2009 winner Nikolay Davydenko of Russia.
The other top names include Argentine world No. 11 Juan Monaco, Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori and Ukranian world No. 16 Alexandr Dolgopolov, who confirmed their participation last month.
The other players in the main draw are Pablo Andujar, Albert Ramos (Spa), Julien Benneteau (Fra), Carlos Berlocq (Arg), Alejandro Falla, Santiago Giraldo (Col), Denis Istomin (Uzb), Martin Klizan, Lukas Lacko (Svk), Jurgen Melzer (Aut) and Andreas Seppi (Ita).
“The cut-off for the Malaysian Open is at 55 this year, meaning any player ranked below that will have to go through the qualifiers or gain a wild card for the main draw,” said tournament director Nick Freyer.
“This highlights how strong the competition is this year. It promises to be a sensational week.”
Among the new faces will be Frenchman Benneteau, who won the doubles bronze in the recently concluded London Olympics.
Benneteau also took Roger Federer to five sets at Wimbledon this year and will be a strong contender.
Besides the 19 direct entries, there will also be three wild cards and four qualifiers for the main draw.
Two wild cards will be provided for local players in the singles.- www.thestar.com.my

Ferrer heads starry cast for Malaysian Open

 SOME of the world's best players are set to grace the fourth ATP Malaysian Open on Sept 22-30 at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil. 

Spain's World No 5 David Ferrer heads the star list, also comprising Argentina's World No 11 Juan Monaco, Japan's World No 18 Kei Nishikori and last year's finalist Marco Baghdatis of Cyprus.The entry deadline closed yesterday.

"I am very excited to reveal that the ranking cut-off for the event is World No 55, meaning that any player ranked beyond that would have to get through the qualifying round or gain a wild card into the main draw," said tournament director Nick Freyer yesterday.

World No 16 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, former champions Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Olympic medallist Julien Benneteau of France, Sam Querrey of Australia, Alejandro Falla of Colombia and Yuki Bhambri of India are among the other confirmed players.

The draw of 32 singles event will consist of 19 players from the direct entry main draw list, three wild cards and four qualifiers. The doubles will comprise only 16 pairs.
Tickets, priced between RM10 and RM100, are available via the tournament's website -- http://www.MalaysianOpenTennis.com or www.ticketcharge.com.my.

Confirmed players — David Ferrer (Spa; World No 5), Juan  Monaco (Arg; 11), Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukr; 16), Kei
Nishikori (Jpn; 18), Andreas Seppi (Ita; 27), Sam Querrey  (US; 29), Julien Benneteau (Fra; 30), Feliciano Lopez (Spa;  31), Denis Istomin (Uzb; 33), Jurgen Melzer (Aut; 36), Pablo  Andujar (Spa; 40), Marco Baghdatis (Cyp; 42), Carlos Berlocq  (Arg; 45), Santiago Giraldo (Col; 46) Albert Ramos (Martin  Klizan (Svk; 48), Nikolay Davydenko (Rus; 50), Alejandro  Falla (Col; 54), Lukas Lacko (Svk; 55),

Alternate list (selected players) — Ryan Harrison (US; 58),  Alex Bogomolov (Rus; 62), Lu, Yen Hsun (Tai; 74), Sergei  Bubka (Ukr; 154), Donald Young (US; 80), Somdev Devvarman (Ind; 85)

Ferrer aims to break into top four

WORLD No 5 David Ferrer will be hoping to ace only his second career title in Asia when he plays in the US$947,750 (RM3 million) ATP Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.
   The Spaniard, the top seed at the Sept 22-30 event, won in Tokyo five years ago by overcoming French No 1 Richard Gasquet but lost in the Beijing final in 2010.The 30-year-old, a semi-finalist at the recent French Open and a quarter-finalist in Wimbledon, has won more matches than any other player on the tour. It will be histhird visit to Kuala Lumpur, his last being in 2010, where he reached the semi-finals.
   “I’ve not won many tournament in Asia. I just want to play as good as I can in KL,” Ferrer told Timesport recently.
   Ferrer has been in superb form since the start of the season, having clinched his fifth title at the Swedish Open after victories in s-Hertogenbosch, Acapulco, Buenos Aires and Auckland.
   On his secret behind his great season, Ferrer said: “Every player is different. There are many fit players on the tour and I just try to improve my game to keep up with them. I am just having a regular season. I believe the best of me will come soon,” said Ferrer, who has won 16 titles since turning professional in 2000.
Despite the encouraging season, Ferrer failed to transfer his winning form to the on-going London Olympics, losing to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in an epic third-round match and finishing fourth in the doubles.
   Ferrer, whose brother Javier was a former junior champion in Spain, also loves to read during his free time.
   “I love reading because it helps me to relax. I have a huge collection of books,” said Ferrer, who resides in Valencia.
   On his goals, he said he hopes to break into the top-four bracket before the end of the season It will be tough for him to achieve this as the world’s top four — Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Serbian Novak Djokovic,Rafael Nadal of Spain and BritonAndy Murry — have been dominating tennis for the last two seasons.
   “They have been consistent and one needs to be consistent to break into the top four. Furthermore, they work very hard physically and mentally,” added Ferrer, who singled out Spain’s David Cup wins in 2008, 2009 and 2011 as the most memorable moments of his career.- NST