Leroy, Elsa win Sarawak ATF 14/U singles

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The winners (from second left) Lee, Elsa, Yong and Tan pose with Chin (left) and Kho after the prize presentation.

KUCHING: Tan Lin En’s hopes of winning an ATF title were dashed when he lost in straight sets in the boys singles final of the 12th Sarawak ATF 14 & Under Series Tennis Championship at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Tennis Centre yesterday.

His opponent Leroy Yong from Malacca was simply too good for the 13-year old trainee of the Sarawak  junior development programme, winning 6-1, 6-1.

Although beaten in the final round, Lin En can be consoled with the precious 133 ATF points he earned for finishing second in the week-long tournament. Yong was awarded 200 points as the winner.

“I think he (Tan) played very well this round after competing in three other previous ATF 14 & Under events. This is his best performance and his highest achievement in the two Bangkok ATF tournaments was making it to the quarterfinals.

“After that he went to Selangor and he got 12th placing after losing in the second round. He managed to do some corrections and all those things. That’s a very good improvement for him and also others like Cornelius Sia, Jimery Tan, Bryan Chong, Ayden Shah and Lydia Liong,” noted state head coach Deen Heshaam Tan Abdullah.

According to him, Jimery finished in ninth place when compared to the 20 plus position when they started in Bangkok.

The next ATF tournament will be held in Langkawi and Deen said the state juniors might go depending on the budget available and the support from the parents.

There are currently more than 20 players in the development programme, with half of them playing in tournaments.

Meanwhile, the girls singles crown was won by Malaysia’s Elsa Wan, the top seed when she beat her South Korean challenger Lee Eun Ji in straight sets of 6-2, 6-0.

SLTA secretary Bernard Chin, who represented the president Dato Patrick Liew, and treasurer Kho Siak Khoi, gave away the trophies and certificates.