Mohd Assri Merzuki
KUCHING: Malaysia are back in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group II competition after a lapse of four years.
The team comprising Mohd Assri Merzuki, Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam, Syed Mohd Agil Syed Naguib and Ashaari Zainal Abidin won all their matches in Group III at the Tun Razak Tennis Centre along Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur.
In the opener against Qatar on Wednesday, Ariez gave Malaysia the first point in the singles by beating Jabor Muhammad Ali Mutawa 6-2, 6-1 and Assri followed up with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over Mousa Shanan Zayed in the second singles.
Agil and Ashaari wrapped up the 3-0 win for Malaysia when they beat Mubarak Al Harrasi and Ali Al-Saygh 6-3, 7-6 in the doubles.
In the second match against Hong Kong, Assri outplayed Andrew Li Hei Yin 6-3, 6-3 in the first singles while Agil beat Jack Wong 7-6, 6-2.
However, Ariez and Ashaari lost 3-6, 7-5, 3-6 to Philip King and Jack Wong in the doubles.
On Friday, Malaysia beat Saudi Arabia 3-0 to top the group.
The points were delivered by Ariez who beat Omar Ahmed 6-1, 6-2, Agil who beat Faisal Arebdi 6-1, 6-0 while Assri-Ashaari downed Omar Ahmed-Faisal Arebdi 6-1, 6-3.
In the play-off for first to fourth placing against Turkmenistan on Saturday, Assri started off the first singles nervous and tight, losing the first set 6-7(3) to Georgiy Pochay but got his game back to eventually prevail in the next two sets 6-3, 6-3.
Agil was calm and composed in the first set of the second singles against Isa Mammetgulyyev where he won 6-3 but lost focus in the second set to lose 3-6. The decider saw him looking physically stronger and mentally stronger to win 6-2.
Joining Malaysia in Group II next year will be Vietnam who whitewashed Turkmenistan 3-0, edged Syria 2-1 and blanked Cambodia 3-0 to top Group B.
They beat Hong Kong 2-0 in the play-off for first to fourth placings.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are now relegated to Group IV.
Meanwhile, Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) deputy president Dato Patrick Liew congratulated the Malaysian team captained by Deen Heshaam for the achievement.
Liew, also Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association president, said SLTA and Sarawak are proud that Sukma Perlis doubles gold medallists Assri and Ariez made a significant contribution to the Malaysian team in the competition from March 25-28.
“Malaysia’s victory has not only put LTAM in the limelight but SLTA is also proud that we have two Sarawakian representatives in the national team.”
“Assri and Ariez are the end products of SLTA’s ten years of investment in the junior tennis development programme and they are also the top ranked players in the country,” he said.