Koay Hao Sheng of Malaysia hits a return to Aryan Goveas of India in the second round of the boys singles at the 25th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 1).
Naiktha Bairns of Australia returns a shot to Saya Usui of Japan during the second round of the girls singles last 32 match. She won 6-1, 6-2.— Photos by Chai Chang Yu
KUCHING: Koay Hao Sheng was the sole Malaysian survivor at the 25th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup (I) ITF Junior Tennis Championship (Grade 1) which entered its second day at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association tennis centre yesterday.
The wild card entry, ranked ITF junior number 589, was able to advance to the third round (last 16) of the boys singles after 14th seed Aryan Goveas from India retired in the third set trailing Koay 1-3.
Aryan had won the first set 6-4 but lost 2-6 in the second set. Severe muscle cramps on his left leg in the decider forced him to concede defeat to Koay.
In the first round match against Thailand’s N Khunjan, Koay won 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 after the Thai player suffered cramps on the lower part of his body and retired.
Koay will face his toughest test today when he takes on Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam after the fourth seed ousted ITF No. 147 Scott Jones of Australia in straight sets of 6-1, 6-3.
Tournament top seed Jumpei Yamasaki of Japan survived a scare against William Matheson of New Zealand losing 4-6 in the first set before recovering to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-2.
He next faces 16th seed Brandon Laubser after the South African challenger dismissed Malaysia’s Sheikh Ameer Shikh Ahmad Alias 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Second seed Oh Chan-Yeong from South Korea, the ITF No. 26, was also safely through, disposing of Thailand’s Vorachon Rakpuangchon 6-3, 6-2 in another last 32 match.
The boys doubles competition saw the top-seeded pair from South Korea Kwon Soon Woo and Oh Chan-Yeong booking their place in the quarterfinals after beating Australian pair Scott Jones and Richard Yong 6-0, 6-4.
Other pairs who progressed into the last eight were Toru Horie (Japan) and Kody Pearson (Australia), Yuya Ito (Japan) and Wu Tung-lin (Chinese Taipei), China’s Wu Hao/Wu Yubing and Australia’s Jake Delaney-Daniel Nolan.
In the girls singles, top seed Naiktha Bairns and ITF No. 23 from Australia cruised into the last 16 when she outplayed Saya Usui of Japan 6-1, 6-2.
Second seed Zheng Wushuang was also through when she sent Petra Hule of Australia packing 6-3, 6-4 to meet Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo in today’s match.
Other boys doubles and girls doubles matches were on-going as at press time (6:15pm).