PETALING JAYA: Young tennis player Daania Daniella Abdul Hazli proved just why she is worthy of a SEA Games call-up at the age of 15 by powering her way to a second ITF junior singles title for 2025.
The promising tennis junior claimed the J30 title in Phnom Penh on Sunday after downing Singapore’s Chanya Ng 7-6 (9-7), 6-0 in the final.
Daania had earlier this week beaten China’s Yang Zijie (6-1, 6-4) and India’s Riya Pudiyokkada (6-2, 6-1) in the semi-finals and quarter-finals.
It was sweet revenge for Daania, daughter of former national team head coach Abdul Hazli Zainuddin, who had earlier in August lost to Chanya in the J30 final in Singapore.
It was also in August when Daania claimed her maiden ITF junior singles title in Surabaya (J30).
She also won her first ITF junior doubles title, partnering Indonesian Shinar Sunggoro, in Jakarta (J30) last month.
Her fine form on the junior circuit has earned her a call-up to the national senior squad for her first SEA Games in Thailand next month.
Also selected for the Thailand SEA Games are Elsa Wan Abdul Rahman, Shihomi Leong, Lim Zan Ning and Daania’s doubles partner Hannah Yip.
Daania-Hannah reached the doubles final of the Kuala Lumpur Open last month.
She will compete in another J30 tournament in Phnom Penh this week before joining the national squad for centralised training.
Daania’s elder brother Imran Daniel Abdul Hazli is also going for the Thailand SEA Games alongside Koay Hao Sheng, Darrshan Kumar, Mitsuki Leong and Naufal Kamaruzzaman.
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