KUCHING: Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) is sending national tennis ace, Aslina Chua to Florida, US for an intensive training stint in preparation for up-coming tournaments.
Kuching-born Aslina Chua, 17, is the national elite player under the Lawn Tennis Association Malaysia (LTAM) programme since 2011 and her ITF ranking soared from 1,661 to a career high of 522.
Aslina was ranked No.1 in the country in 2013 and is now currently ranked No.4 with her career highlights of competing in the Federation Cup 2013, Junior Fed Cup in 2011/2012 and the BMW Malaysian Open WTA.
Her self-driven never-give-up attitude, coupled with self discipline is her strength and this has enabled her to show some early signs of success in her tennis career.
As she prepares to compete in the year-end BMW Masters selection this month, Aslina is hoping to earn yet another wild card into the BMW WTA Malaysian Open next year.
She is also preparing herself mentally and physically to join Sarawak’s professional player Mohd Assri Merzuki in the highly intensified training regiment in Bradenton, Florida, US by early January 2014.
SLTA is quite sure with some of the results shown by Assri, Aslina too will follow a similar pathway in her tennis career.
“This investment is worthwhile as it is rendered to the high deserving individual,” said SLTA president Dato Patrick Liew on the training stint which is expected to cost between RM50,000 and RM60,000.
This noble effort and initiative taken by Liew who is also a vice president of LTAM, is laudable and commendable.