THE NEW STRAITS TIMES - WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2007

Tennis: Trio promoted to play in Asian Grade One

BY AJITPAL SINGH

 

MOHAMED Nazim Khan, Adelle Boey Chaiyan and S. Theiviya have been promoted to play in the Under-14 Grade One Asian tennis events after the trio’s two successful Grade Two tournaments in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Adelle topped the girls’ Asian Grade Two rankings with 600 points after winning three titles on the Asian Tour One and two championships in Pakistan.

Theiviya, daughter of former national No.1 S. Selvarajoo, finished fifth in the rankings with 240 points.

Mohamed Nazim, a student at the Alice Smith School finished second in the boys’ rankings with 330 points behind Myanmar’s Aung Kyaw Naing (620 points).

The top five players in each of the boys’ and girls’ rankings are promoted to play in Asian Grade One tournaments. They will now be able to play against top junior ranked players from South Korea, Japan, China and India.

The trio’s performances in Pakistan is a slap in the face for the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) who, after promising to pay for the players’ tickets to play in Islamabad, backed out at the 11th hour. The players had no choice but to raise the money needed by themselves.

On the final day of the Tour Two event in Pakistan yesterday, Malaysia picked up two of the four titles.

Adelle and partner Dai Trang Huynh of Vietnam beat Myanmar’s Zin Mar Htwe-Samphorsho Chhay 6-1, 7-5 to lift the girls’ doubles title. However, Adelle failed to make it a double when she lost 6-2, 6-3 to her doubles partner in the singles final.

Malaysia’s Mohd Asri Merzuki and Pakistan partner Heera Ashiq beat Malaysian duo Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam-Mohamed Nazim 6-1, 6-4 to lift the boys’ doubles title.

Mohamed Nazim lost 6-3, 6-3 to Myanmar’s Aung Kyaw Naing in the singles final.