KUCHING: The Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) is planning to make some adjustments to groom Sarawak’s rising tennis star Mohd Assri Merzuki as a doubles player.
Its president Dato Patrick Liew felt that the 17-year-old boy from Kampung Semariang Baru can play better in the doubles than in the singles.
“I have observed in the past few days of competition in the on-going 19th Sarawak Chief Minister Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship that his standard has improved tremendously to the level where he can beat any top 100 ITF junior player in the world,” Liew said yesterday.
He also observed a tremendous change in Assri after 24 and a half months of training in Romania, Spain and the US.
“In terms of physical condition, he’s already in top condition despite only being 17 years old and I strongly believe that he’s now in the growing stage and can improve and grow stronger in the future,” added Liew.
“He has become more respectful, disciplined and humble, which I think we have done justice to make him a better person in future.”
Liew said SLTA had made the right decision to develop Assri when he was only nine years old and that he was very sure that the player would become more matured when he turned 18.
“I am also convinced that we have made a right choice to work with Romanian Doru Sorin Murariu as Assri’s personal coach. Murariu spotted Assri’s talent when he was 11 years old in 2005,” said Liew.
Murariu, who formerly worked with Higueras Academy and the Niagara Academy of Tennis, Canada as a director, now owns and manages the Tennis Players Fitness Institute and Young Guns Elite Tennis Academy in Florida.
The academy trains mainly high performance and professional players from throughout the world.
Liew said SLTA remained focused in raising Assri’s level to be in the world ITF junior top 100 rankings before the third quarter of this year to qualify for the US Junior Open grand slam.
He has also worked out with Murariu to arrange more top level junior tournaments this year for Assri to boost his rankings.
Assri reached the semi-finals of the boys singles and boys doubles final of the 5th Melaka ITF International Tennis Championship earlier this month and won the boys singles title of the Brunei ITF Junior Group 4 event and finished runners-up with Carter Lin of the US in the boys doubles. At the 19th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 1) here this week, he made an early exit in the first round of the boys singles but reached the boys doubles quarterfinals with Carter Lin.
Assri’s will next play in the 23rd Mitsubish-Lancer International Junior Grade One tournament in Manila next Tuesday.- www.theborneopost.com
