Imran rises to the occasion with two titles in Taiwan

PETALING JAYA: Teenage tennis player Imran Daniel Hazli (pic) defied all odds to make it a day of double joy at the recently-concluded J200 Taiwan Open.

The 18-year-old Imran defeated Timofei Derepasko of Russia 7-5, 7-6 to triumph in the men’s singles category before partnering Goncalo Marques of Portugal to outplay home pair Chieh En-hou-Ke Kau-hung 7-6, 6-2 to lift the men’s doubles title in Tainan on Sunday.

Sixth-seeded Imran had received a tricky draw in the singles event but performed well enough to defeat three higher-seeded players – fourth seed and homester Hung Ke Hau, second-seeded Marques and top seed Derepasko – en route to winning the title.

As in the doubles category, Imran-Marques lived up to their reputation as the top seeds to clear all of their hurdles in straight sets.

His father and coach Abdul Hazli Zainuddin was pleased with Imran’s performance.

“Imran was nervous to close out the final match, needing five match points before securing victory,” said Hazli.

“Despite being seeded sixth in the singles, he defied the odds, triumphing over three higher-seeded opponents, including the ITF’s 75th ranked player from Russia (Derepasko), to secure the coveted title.”

Imran ventured to Europe in June after competing in the Cambodia SEA Games in May, where he was a member of the team that finished third.

He held a modest world ranking of 1700 but he has climbed to the world No. 159 and is expected to break into the top 150 in the latest International Tennis Federation rankings after winning the Taiwan meet.

Hazli was overjoyed to see his son’s progress and improvement as Imran has amassed an impressive collection of nine titles, comprising three singles championships and six doubles titles in just 16 weeks.

“Imran’s triumph not only marks his third singles title but also represents a significant milestone in the realm of Malaysian tennis,” said Hazli.