It will be a battle between seniors and juniors in the men's singles semi-finals of the National Circuit second leg at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.
Top seed Si Yew Ming, as expected, reached the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Razlan Rawi. The 32-year-old will play 17-year-old Khoo Er Yang, who edged Myanmar-born Nge Hnaung 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, for a place in the final.
Er Yang is expected to give Yew Ming a hard time today if he plays to his potential. The Seremban-born has improved tremendously since training under former national champion V. Selvam.
Er Yang is also making a mark in ITF Under-18 tournaments where he has achieved two semi-final results (Grade Four), one each in New Zealand and Malacca, since last year.
The other semi-finals pits second seed and 31-year-old Abd Hazli Zainuddin against 13th seed Ahmad Deedat Abd Razak. Abd Hazli beat national champion Syed Aqil Syed Naguib 6-2, 6-4 while Ahmad Deedat thrashed Indonesian-born Marco Setipu 6-2, 6-0 in their respective matches.
In the women's singles, top seed Jawairiah Noordin hardly raised sweat in her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Asline Chua and will next play surprise package R. Archnaah in today's semi-finals.
The unseeded Archnaah upset third seed Ti Jia Wei 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 in her quarter-final yesterday.
Second seed Adelle Boey defeated Svea Zuber 6-3, 6-4 and next face fourth seed Choo Lyn Yuen, who thrashed Chan Ji Qi 6-0, 6-0.
RESULTS -- Men's singles (q-finals): Si Yew Ming bt Razlan Rawi 6-3, 6-4; Khoo Er Yang bt Nge Hnaung 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2; Ahmad Deedat Abd Razak bt Marco Setipu 6-2, 6-0; Abd Hazli Zainuddin bt Syed Agil Syed Naguib 6-2, 6-4.
Women's singles (q-finals): Jawairiah Noordin bt Aslina Chua 6-1, 6-1; R. Archnaah bt Ti Jia Wei 5-7, 6-1, 7-5; Choo Lyn Yuen bt Chan Hia Qi 6-0, 6-0; Adelle Boey bt Svea Zuber 6-3, 6-4. - NST (Ajitpal Singh) - March 28
