Teen of steel

PETALING JAYA: Promising tennis player Daania Daniella Hazli smashed the Great Wall of China en route to winning her third title of the year at the Memorial Cup 30th Anniversary championship in Cambodia yesterday.

Daania, competing on a wildcard invite, stopped a succession of Chinese challengers to claim her second J30 title in one week.

The 15-year-old began her campaign by getting the better of China’s Chen Qingan 6-2, 6-0.

Memorable moment: Daania Daniella Hazli posing for a photograph with her father and coach Abdul Hazli Zainuddin.

Daania rallied from a set down to overcome another Chinese challenger Yuan Shiqing 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

She then stopped Yang Zijie 6-2, 6-2 to enter the final.

Daania completed her astonishing campaign by beating fourth seed Qu Mingxi 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

It was less than a week ago when Daania claimed her second J30 title for the season in Phnom Penh after downing Singapore’s Chanya Ng 7-6 (9-7), 6-0 in the final.

Daania had claimed her maiden ITF junior singles title in Surabaya (J30) last month.

She also won her first ITF junior doubles title, partnering Indonesian Shinar Sunggoro, in Jakarta (J30) last month.

Daania is currently coached by her father Abdul Hazli Zainuddin, who is a former Davis Cup player and ex-national coach for Malaysia.

Daania’s fine form on the junior circuit has earned her a call-up to the national senior squad for her first SEA Games assignment in Thailand next month.

Daania will be returning home to join centralised training for the Thailand SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur after this.