Kuching dominates MSS Sarawak Tennis Championship

KUCHING: Defending champions Kuching made a successful defence of their crown when they dominated the MSS Sarawak Tennis Championship again by winning nine out of 12 categories at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association Centre yesterday.

National Boys Under 15 number one player Alvin Teng achieved more success this week when he clinched the U-15 singles title by edging Adrian Lim 8-6 in the all-Kuching final.

The joint third place winners were Farith of Kuching and Charles Runyaam of Miri.

En route to the final, Teng received a first round bye and thumped Satreenraj of Samarahan 8-0 in the second round.

He followed up with a 3-0 victory over Mohd Irfan from Bintulu in the last eight and went on to beat Charles of Miri 8-5 in the semi-finals.

Last week, Teng won the Boys U-15 singles title in the MSSM Kuching Tennis Championships.

He had also captured the Boys U-15 singles and doubles titles at the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) Sportexcel Under 14 Tennis Circuit 1st Leg in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 23.

In the Boys U-18 singles final, state MSSM player Augustine Chang suffered an injury on his right ankle and conceded the title to his teammate Kenneth Tan.

Tan was leading Chang 6-5 when the latter retired.

The injury also affected Chang’s performance in the Boys Under 18 doubles final when he and partner Kenneth Tan went down lost 6-8 to another Kuching pair Ricco Soh-Shane.

The Boys U-12 singles final saw Isaac Noah beating Mohd Aiman 8-0 in an all-Kuching final.

Kuching also won the Boys U-15 doubles title where Adrian-Mark beat their teammates Sean-Farith 8-6.

The Boys U-12 doubles title went to Md Aiman-Mitchell of Kuching who beat teammates Nicklaus-Nurhadzmi 8-6 in the final.

Kuching’s other titles came from national Girls U-18 singles player Choo Lyn Yuen of Kuching who blanked Amanda Sim of Miri 8-0 in the Girls U-18 singles final, Goh Qing who beat Isabella Sim of Sibu 8-0 in the Girls U-12 singles final, and Angeline-Brigita who defeated Miri’s Nur Irdina -Esther 7-3 in the Girls U- 12 doubles final.

Miri finished second overall by winning three titles while Sibu came in third.

Belinda Chai gave Miri their first title when she thumped Linda Leong of Bintulu 8-0 in the Girls U-15 singles final.

Belinda then partnered Virvienica to win the Girls U-15 doubles title by beating Kirstin Leong-Alia Azman of Kuching 8-6.

Miri’s Amanda-Annabella then beat Andrea-Charlene 8-2 in the Girls U-18 doubles final.

The three-day competition organised by MSS Sarawak and hosted by MSSM Kuching saw 84 players including 35 girls from Kuching, Samarahan, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu taking part.

Kuching District Education Officer Mahli Rosli closed the event and gave away the prizes.

The top five players from each category will represent Sarawak in the MSSM Tennis Championships to be hosted by Sarawak this year from Mar 23-27 at the same venue.-www.theborneopost.com

Daniela and Jelena enter the fray

SLOVAKIAN Daniela Hantuchova (picture courtesy of empirewallpapers.net) and Serbian Jelena Jankovic will join former Danish World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the WTA BMW Malaysian Open, on Feb 25-March 3, in Kuala Lumpur.

Daniela, the World No 58 and a winner of four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, has a good record in Asia, having won the Pattaya Open in 2011 and 2012 as she aims for her sixth career singles title on her debut.

The 30-year-old, however, has yet to reach her peak following a string of average performances this season.

Jelena, a former World No 1 and a grand slam mixed doubles champion, will feature in a tournament in Kuala Lumpur, where she reached the semi-finals last season, since the Australian Open.

China's Zheng Jie, a two-time grand slam doubles winner, has been offered the third wild card but the World No 46 has yet to confirm her availability.

Caroline, who reached the last-16 in Melbourne, will need to produce something special in Kuala Lumpur to become the first top seed to win the Malaysian Open on her debut.

The former World No 1 has won 20 tour titles, including five in Asia.

Taiwan's Hsieh Su Wei, a two-time tour champion, has switched her focus to singles this season as the World No 25 aims to become the first player to retain a title in Kuala Lumpur.

Serbian Bojana Jovanovski and Japanese Ayumi Morita are the other top draws hoping to get their hands on the singles title after previous failed attempts.

Bojana, a first round casualty last season, is looking forward to a good season after achieving her career-high ranking of 38 on Jan 28 while Ayumi, a finalist in the inaugural edition in 2010, is aiming to emulate her idol and teammate Kimiko Date-Krumm on the tour.

Others in the main draw, barring withdrawals, are Greece's Eleni Daniilidou, Taiwan's Chan Yung Jan, Australia's Casey Dellacqua, Japan's Misaki Doi and the Pliskova sisters, Kristyna and Karpolina of the Czech Republic.

On the local front, Aslina Chua has accepted a wild card for the qualifiers while the second spot is expected to go to S. Theiviya.- www.nst.com.my

Karosi battles stomach upset to win title

AUSTIN KAROSI won the men’s singles title in the BMW Malaysian National Circuit Leg 1 after defeating second seed Si Yew Ming 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in today’s final.

The Singaporean, who made his debut this year at the BMW Malaysian National Circuit, also bagged prize money of RM4,000.

But things didn’t come easy for the world No. 920 as he was battling a stomach upset and a resilient Yew Ming.

The 22-year-old hard hitter dominated the first set before finishing it off at 6-1.

The momentum shifted to Yew Ming in the second set when Karosi held the lead at 4-2, as the Singaporean found it hard to focus on the match with the stomach upset.

Yew Ming took full advantage of the situation to come back and seal the second set at 7-5.

“It might be because of something I had in the morning; I could feel it acting up and I didn’t know what to do.

“I was hitting well throughout the match until then and Yew Ming took full advantage,” Karosi said.

“He was hardly making any mistakes from the start and he got the better of me in the second set,” said Karosi who called for a toilet break before going into the third set.

His condition was so bad that he vomited in the final set but that helped settle his stomach.

“It was troubling me and I had to get it out and things eventually got better from there on,” added Karosi.

The Singaporean took some time to get himself into the match before sealing the final with a 6-4 victory.

“It has been a long and tiring week for me and I am glad it ended this way. The plus point is that I served really well today, something which I lacked the past few months when I was playing in the Futures tournaments,” said Karosi.

The women’s single finals saw Theviya Selvarajoo defeating Yus Syazlin Nabila Yusri 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to take home the prize money of RM1,200.

Results
(All Finals) 
Men’s Singles Tier 1: Austin Karosi bt Si Yew Ming 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
Tier 2: Jonathan Nathar bt Bryan Lim 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
Doubles Final: Mohd Ashaari Zainal-Syed Mohd Agil Syed Naguib bt Khoo Er Yang-Mohd Faeez Said 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), 10-6
Womens Singles: Theviya Selvarajoo bt Yus Syazlin Nabila Yusri 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles: Aslina Chua-Thviya Selvarajoo bt Alyssa Boey-Nurin Nabilah Roslan 6-2, 6-4

Theiviya overcomes pain to enter final

S. THEIVIYA had blisters on her fingers but it did not stop the teenager from reaching the women's singles final of the BMW Malaysian Circuit first leg at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The top seed overcame a sluggish first set to edge Aslina Chua 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours.

It was a painful experience for Theiviya but the 19-year-old rallied on to set up a final against second seed Yussyazlin Nabila Yusri, who defeated former national champion Alyssa Boey 6-1, 6-4 in the other semi-final, today.

"The blisters had little effect on me as I was too focused on the match. The match could have gone either way but an early break point in the third helped me regroup and win."

On the final, Theiviya said Yussyazlin will be a tough opponent as she is playing well.

"I have beaten her before but she has improved so much. It is good for local tennis that many players are now making progress in their game."

Theiviya and Asline will pair up against Alyssa-Nurin Nabila in the doubles final.

In men's singles, American-born top seed Austin Karosi eased past Asean University gold medallist Syed Aqil Syed Naguib 6-2, 6-0 in a one-sided semi-final match.

Syed Agil could not last the tempo as he was nursing a shoulder injury.

Second seed Si Yew Ming was given a huge fight by former international Abd Hazli Zainuddin before prevailing 6-4, 7-5 for a spot in the final.

Yew Ming, 34, is hoping to regain his status as the national No 1 following his defeat to Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam in last month's Masters final.

"Karosi is playing well here but I believe I have a good chance of winning it tomorrow (today)," said Yew Ming.

Karosi to meet Yew Ming in final

SINGAPORE’S Austin Karosi (picture) made light work of third seed Syed Mohd Agil Syed Naguib as he booked his place in the final of the BMW Malaysian National Circuit Leg 1 with a resounding 6-2 6-0 victory over the Malaysian.

The American, who currently resides in Singapore, will face off against second seed Si Yew Ming in tomorrow’s final.

“I performed much better today. My movement and shots around the court yesterday were rather tight and there was a lot of difference today.

“I was more relaxed and it certainly helped. My serves were near perfect and so was my forehand but Syed Agil gave me a stern challenge and was unlucky on a few occasions,” said Karosi who is ranked 920 in the world.

Syed Agil, who is nursing a shoulder injury, was off to a perfect start but as Austin pushed him on the rallies, the 19-year-old ended up losing his momentum.

“Everything was okay at the start but after a while, my shoulder began to ache and I was finding it hard to serve and hit my forehands,” said Syed Agil.

National No.1 Si Yew Ming, meanwhile, was given a stern challenge by Abdul Hazli Zainuddin but the 34-year-old held his nerves to overcome his opponent 6-4, 7-5.

“It was tough but I managed to pull it off. He was returning almost every shot and that made things difficult but eventually I found my rhythm to get the better of him,” said Yew Ming.

Karosi, on his debut here, has never played against Yew Ming but has seen the veteran on court a few times.

“He has tons of experience and I hope to be at my best tomorrow. Things have got tougher since the quarterfinals and I certainly can’t take things lightly,” said Karosi.

Semifinals (Malaysia unless stated)
Men’s singles: Austin Karosi (Singapore) bt Syed Mohd Agil Syed Naguib 6-2, 6-0; Si Yew Ming bt Abdul Hazli Zainuddin 6-4, 7-5.

Women’s singles: Theviya Selvarajoo bt Aslina Chua 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Yus SyazlinNabila Yusri bt Alyssa Boey 6-1, 6-4.

Women’s doubles: Aslina Chua-Thviya Selvarajoo bt Michelle Khoo Li Sha-Yus Syazlin Nabila Yusri 6-2, 6-1; Alyssa boey-Nurin Nabilah bt Siti Aisyah Idris-Rose Shamiza Badrul Hisham 6-3, 6-1. - www.sports247.my

Syed Aqil into semis

SYED Aqil Syed Naguib secured his place in the men’s singles semi-finals of the BMW Malaysian Circuit first leg with a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of Marco Setipu at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Syed Aqil, a gold medallist at last month’s Asean University Games, plays American-born top seed Austin Karosi, who beat Ashaari Zainal Abdin 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in the quarter-finals, for a spot in the final today.
Second seed Si Yew Ming was taken the distance in the first set before prevailing 6-4, 6-2 over Khoo Er Yang to set up a semi-final encounter against Abd Hazli Zainuddin, who upset national player Ahmad Deedat Razak 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-1).
In the women’s section, top seed S. Theiviya earned a ‘dream’ semi-final match against national champion Aslina Chua, following a 6-1, 7-5 win over Nurin Nabila Roslan yesterday,
Aslina  defeated Thailand’s Konmawan Thongsaner 6-1, 6-2. The other semi-final pits second seed Yussyazlin Nabila Yusri against former national champions Alyssa Boey.- www.nst.com.my

Theiviya scores double 'bagel' wins

S. THEIVIYA recorded back-to-back double ‘bagel’ wins to reach the women’s singles quarter-finals of  the BMW Malaysian Circuit first leg at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
   Theiviya, the daughter of former national champion S. Selvarajoo, was in near perfect form as the 19-year-old hammered Aida Hereena Hairy Anuar and Rose Shamiza Badrul Hisham with identical 6-0, 6-0 scores.
   Selvarajoo said Theiviya is determined to make a huge impact on the tournament.
   “She missed out of being the national champion last month due to illness. It has made her more eager to win this title,” said Selvarajoo yesterday.
   The top seed, who turned professional last month, is expected to face national champion Aslina Chua in the semi-finals.
   “Theiviya should reach the last four for the likely match against Aslina. She is looking forward to this encounter,” Selvarajoo added.
   Second seed Yussyazlin Nabila Yusri, Alyssa Boey and Thailand’s Konmawan Thongsaner also won their respective first-round matches yesterday.
   In the men’s section, top seed and World No 969 Austin Karosi won his opening three matches to qualify for the fourth round.
   The 23-year-old American-born, representing Singapore, started his campaign with a 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Amirul Aiman Abd Halim, followed by impressive wins over Lee Vun Tsir (6-1, 6-3) and Ahmad Faizal Mansor (6-1, 6-0).
   Karosi was due to play Jordan Quek in their fourth round match late yesterday.
   Second seed and former national champion Si Yew Ming safely negotiated past Bryan Lim (6-1, 6-1), Danial Anuar Hayes (6-1, 6-0) and national Under-14 champion Koay Hao Sheng 6-4, 6-3 to make the fourth round. The 35-year-old was due to play M. Damien Rocky in a late match yesterday.
   Asean University Games champion Syed Aqil Syed Naguib, Abdul Hazli Zainuddin, Ashaari Zainal Abidin, Khoo Er Yang and Ahmad D