Mixed fortune for Malaysia on opening day

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KUCHING: Five of the nation’s young guns qualified for the second round of the Boys’ Singles and Girls’ Singles on the opening day of the 24th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (II) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 3).

READY TO ROAR: Participants of the 24th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (II) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 3) posing with tournament officials before the competition started at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association tennis centre along Jalan Crookshank yesterday. The competition for the boys/girls singles and doubles will end on Oct 19 (Sunday). — Photo courtesy of Dr Wee Thian Yew

The cup, part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Circuit, is held at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) centre here.

Malaysia’s top contender Koay Hao Sheng had the better of Chan Chak Yin from Hong Kong winning 6-2, 6-3 while Shamirul Shahril Mohd Adam Das made light work of India’s Kunaal Namashivaya of India 6-3, 6-0. Darrshan Suresh beat Singaporean Gabriel Chum Jun Yong 6-3, 6-2 while Seth
Satveer Singh edged Daniil Michshenko of Kazakhstan in a three-set thriller 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.

In the Girls’ Singles, Nurul Amirah Ahmad Zamzury calmly beat Enni Zander of Sweden in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 to set up a date with tournament fourth seed Mihika Yadav of India. However, all was not well in the Malaysian camp as 11 players crashed out in the first round including Sarawakians Tay Chen Kiat, Muhammad Aiman Hamdan and Rohizat Achop Borhan Janang.

“I’m quite happy that I have put on a good display. I managed to play well, I hit well. My opponent (Chan) gave a tough fight in the first few games in the first set and the last few at the end of the second,” said 16-year-old Koay who is aiming to reach the semis.

The Perlis-born, who took up the game since he was seven, added that familiarity with the SLTA courts helped, having played here in the Junior Davis Cup, World Junior and Sarawak ITF championships. He faces eighth seeded Okkie Kellerman of Russia next.

Local interest in the Boys’ Doubles is sustained by two Malaysian pairs and one mix pairing involving Tan Zu Zinyang and Japanese Tomohiro Masabayashi who made the cut to the second round.

Yugantaarshwar Ganesan and Darrshan edged Ahmad Aq’l Ahmad Nizam (Malaysia)-Chum (Singapore) 6-4, 6-4 while Shamirul and Muhammad Asyraff beat the Malaysian-Vietnamese pair Chen and Phuong Van Nguyen 6-1, 6-1.

The all-Sarawakian partnership of Rohizat and Muhammad Aiman faltered 3-6, 6-0 (6-10) to Cristian Lozan and Michshenko.

In the second round today, Tan and Tomohiro will meet tournament third seed Okkie and Francois Kellerman from Russia while Shamirul and Muhammad Asyraff face off against fourth seeded Tiago Cacao of Portugal and Uzbekistan Saida’lo Saidkarimov. As for Yugantaarshwar and Darrshan, Thailand fifth seeded pair Nawakarn Khunjan and Vorachon Rakpuangchon await.

In the Boys’ Singles event, Shamirul will take on Tiago, Satveer awaits Indonesian Anthony Susanto and Darrshan is set to face Nawarkarn. The tournament’s top seed Djurabeck Karimov will begin his campaign against Udayan Bhakar of India.

In the Girls’s Singles, Nurin Nabilah Roslan who is the country’s only seeded player in the tournament, takes on 12th seed Komola Umarova of Uzbekistan. Tournament top seed Tessah Andrianjafitrimo of Franch will play American Tiffany Linh Nguyen.