GREAT OUTING: Assri (right) and Gabriel with Morariu after receiving their runners-up trophies at the US$15,000 Men’s in Cluj, Romania. — Photo courtesy of Doru Sorin Morariu
KUCHING: The European Tour has done Mohd Assri Merzuki a lot of good and it has been a good summer for Sarawak’s first professional tennis star in the making.
This summer, Assri, together with his doubles partner Gabriel Morariu and coach Doru Sorin Murariu from Tennis Players Fitness Institute, based in Florida, US, went on a European tour to gain experience on the ATP (Association of Tennis professionals) Men’s Tour.
The duo’s first tournament was the US$15,000 ITF Men’s Futures in Iasi, Romania where Assri, without any ATP ranking, had to go through the qualification draw in the singles.
After two victories, he made it to the final round where he lost to the number two seed.
In doubles competition, Assri-Morariu got off to a good start, winning the first set but during the second, Assri twisted his ankle on the court, resulting in their opponents winning the match in two sets.
Assri had to ice his ankle 11 times that night and on the second day he went on court to play the quarterfinal with an ankle protection, but because the pains didn’t let him use his foot 100 per cent for serve, they lost 7-6, 6-4.
After a raw beginning of the European tour in Iasi where Assri suffered the left ankle sprain, the second tournament was a great run.
Playing in their fourth tournament together, the dynamic duo of Assri-Moraru won against the third seeded team to qualify for the final round of the US$15,000 Men’s in Cluj, Romania and earn a hard-fought victory with a straight 6-1, 6-2 scoreline to reach the final.
However, in the final, Merzuki and Morariu lost to Florin Mergea and Mugurel Anagnastopol, 3-6, 7-5, 1-10.
Mergea, a former junior Wimbledon singles and doubles champion (with wins over Thomas Berdich and Andy Murray) and for many years a Romanian Davis Cup team member, won his first title after his comeback this year.
“It’s been an amazing week and it is a great feeling to play in the final again. It was a tough match; they played very well when they had to,” said Assri.
“We had a good second set but they lifted their game in the super tie-break. With teams like this, you have to take your chance when you have it. We didn’t. Unfortunately, we came out on the losing end.”
Morariu, a former 125 ATP ranked player, said: “We are just playing great right now, and obviously it has a lot to do having Assri as team partner. He’s a great player with an amazing anticipation at the net. I’m really looking forward to the next tournaments and hopefully we can continue to keep this level.”
In the qualification of the singles competition, Assri played very well, winning all matches in his group and qualified for the first time in to the main draw of a Men’s Tournament.
In the first round of the main draw, Assri faced the fourth seed Luncanu Alexandru, a former number three in the world junior ranking and Orange Bowl winner, with victories over Marin Cilic and Donald Young just to name a few of the ATP top 100 players he competed against.
After a very nervous start, Assri lost 6-2, 6-3 but overall he played a good match, saving six match points against Alexandru.
The last tournament of the European Tour was a US$10,000 Men’s Futures in Brasov, Romania, where Assri and Gabriel displayed again high class tennis and reached the semi-final.
Winning other six ATP points, Assri climbed to 836 in the ATP doubles ranking.
This could be a good asset for the Malaysian Davis Cup team as 16-year-old Assri is now the youngest and highest ranked Malaysian player in ATP doubles.
Assri’s dream and goal, besides representing Malaysia in the Davis Cup competition, is also to play in the doubles main draw of the ATP Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.
He is now at his training base in Florida to train and prepare for the next tournaments.