Malaysian Open: Relying on rising tennis stars

Mohd Assri Merzuki has been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the doubles event. He will be paired with an ATP Tour star.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s rising tennis stars will once again be given the chance to compete against the world’s best in the Malaysian Open at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from Sept 21-29.

The organisers have picked teenagers Mohd Assri Merzuki and Syed Mohd Agil Syed Naguib along with 34-year-old Si Yew Ming to play in the qualifying tournament of the singles event.

Assri has also been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the doubles event. He will be paired with an ATP Tour star.

The 18-year-old Assri made a historic breakthrough in his professional career in February. He gained his first ATP ranking points after beating Japan’s Katsushi Fukuda in straight sets in the first round of an F1 Futures tournament in India.

Assri, who trains in the United States, also has the best record among his compatriots in the Malaysian Open. He became the first Malaysian to win a set against a foreign player in his 2-6, 7-6, 2-6 loss to Treat Conrad Huey of the Philippines in the qualifying rounds last year.

National No. 1 Mohd Agil will be making his second appearance in the championship. He comes into the tournament in good form, having made the final of the Scomi KL Open last month.

Former national No. 1 Yew Ming will be playing in the Malaysian Open for the fifth straight year, a distinction he holds with inaugural champion Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. Yew Ming, Malaysia’s most successful Davis Cup player with 23 wins, became the first Malaysian to win a match on the ATP World Tour after he defeated a fellow Malaysian in the first round of the qualifying tournament last year.

“We are pleased that once again our players are given the opportunity to demonstrate their improved standards against world class opponents at the Malaysian Open qualifying tournament as well as in the main draw of the doubles event,” said Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) president Tan Sri Abdul Razak Latiff.

American Ryan Harrison, who was extremely popular when he appeared in the tournament in 2011, has been given the final wild card for the singles main draw.

The 21-year-old, one of the outstanding young prospects in US tennis, reached a career high ranking of 43 last summer.