GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL TENNIS STARS TO GRAB ATP POINTS

Si Yew Ming, Ariez Elyaas and Ahmed Deedat receive official wild card entries to play in this year’s ATP 250 World Tour Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur 2011. One of the great benefits about having a prestigious world-class ATP World Tour tennis tournament on our shores is that it gives our local tennis boys a chance to pit their skills against some of the world’s best.

Every year, the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur as part of its junior development initiatives, which also include a pro tennis clinic for our aspiring youngsters, offers valuable wild card entries to Malaysian players, and this year will be no exception, with two singles qualifying slots and one doubles main draw spot being handed out.

Ariez Elyas Deen Heesham

Youngsters Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam and Ahmed Deedat Abdul Razak will lead the country’s charge in the singles qualifying tournament on September 24 and 25. This means the boys will need to record at least two wins (subject to draw size) against the pros if they are to make it to the singles main draw of 28 players. First round main draw losers who enter the main draw via a wild card are not eligible for ranking points, whilst players who reach the main draw via the qualifying tournament or based on their personal ATP ranking, receive ATP points for a first round main-draw loss.

Meanwhile, Malaysian number one Si Yew Ming will be partnered with an exciting fast rising ATP World Tour star, who has entered the singles draw, with the duo entered as a wild card into the main-draw of the doubles event. Tournament Director Nick Freyer of organisers IMG said, “Our long term dream is to someday have a local player qualify for the main draw based on ranking and eventually produce a home grown ATP Champion here. Creating opportunities such as these, together with our junior pro clinic and other programmes is our way of supporting the comprehensive development programme being managed by our partners and friends at the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia.”


This will not be the first time that Ariez has featured in the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, having lost out in the first round of the qualifiers to Frenchman Laurent Recourderc last year.

Seventeen-year-old Ariez however managed to obtain his ATP doubles points from the Khon Kaen ITF futures in April 2011. His ATP doubles ranking is 1453. He also played Davis Cup Men Asian Oceania Group 3 qualifying in Colombo and helped Malaysian team secure the top 4 position by winning the tie against Oman.

Ahmad Deedat Abdul Razak

For Ahmed Deedat, his inclusion in the tournament may have come as a welcome surprise to him, but his stellar performances for Malaysia in both the Junior and Men’s Davis Cup has thrust the teenager firmly into the limelight as a rising star of Malaysian tennis.

Sixteen-year-old Ahmed, who was once ranked as high as No.3 on the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) Under-14 circuit, recently partnered Si Yew Ming in the doubles during the Davis Cup tie in Sri Lanka in June.

The duo helped their country secure crucial victories against the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which helped Malaysia their standing in the Asia/Oceania Group III, even coming close to promotion into Group II.
“I’m speechless, and a little bit nervous. But this is a golden opportunity for me and I will definitely give my best,” said Kuala Lumpur-born Ahmed, who has just returned from the ITF/LTAT Junior Championships 2011 in Nonthaburi, Thailand, where he made it to the second round.

Ahmed is currently ranked 1002 on the ITF Junior Tour, but has previously held a ranking high of 492.
As the number one ranked Malaysian tennis player, Si Yew Ming has featured in the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur since 2009. Last year, he received a wild card entry into the singles main draw after Lleyton Hewitt pulled out of the tournament with a serious wrist injury that required surgery.


Our Malaysian number one gave the partisan crowd something to cheer about when he took a surprise 2-0 lead against Indian star Yuki Bhambri in the first two games, but eventually lost out to the former Asian Junior champion in straight sets.

Si Yew Ming

The 32-year-old Yew Ming has however enjoyed strong form in the Davis Cup in June, notching four wins against his two losses (both singles and doubles), and will look to build on that during the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur.

This year, Yew Ming will be partnered in the doubles with a singles main-draw player that will be confirmed later in the week by organisers IMG, but what is for sure is that Malaysians will once again be privy to watching our very own ‘anak Malaysia’ play with one of the world’s best in the main draw of an ATP World Tour 250 tournament - one of the highlights of the local sporting calendar.

For more information and updates on the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur 2011, please log on to www.MalaysianOpenTennis.com

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING … BACK! MALAYSIAN HOSPITALITY DRAWS BACK PAST CHAMPIONS

He won the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur in its inaugural year, and he won the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur in its second year… and now they are both coming back to try and keep the title in Russian hands.

Tournament Director Nick Freyer of organizers IMG, today announced that the 2009 Champion Nikolay
Davydenko and the 2010 Champion Mikhail Youzhny will be returning to Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 24 September to 2 October, 2011. They will take on the already announced ATP World Tour stars that include Serbian Davis Cup hero’s Viktor Troicki (#15) and Janko Tipsarevic (#25), two-time Wimbledon doubles Champion Jurgen Melzer (#18), and fast rising Australian teenager and 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Bernard Tomic.

“A tournament always feels touched when past Champions decide to return, and of course we are delighted that both “Niko” and “Misha” are coming back to KL,” Freyer said. “This is a place where I know they feel very comfortable and where we enjoy having them as our guests – they are firm favorites with the tournament staff.”

“Malaysian fans will I am sure welcome back their past Champions, both of whom are gentlemen, with a sense of humor and who have achieved so much. It is entirely possible, either player, or maybe even both, will be seen in action on Sunday October 2, finals day.”

Davydenko

Davydenko, a 21 time winner on the ATP World Tour and a 6 time finalist, and who plays more tournaments than almost anyone else, remains one of the toughest players in the world. The 30 year old is a crafty opponent with outstanding endurance and determination – he is a very difficult player to beat at any time and on any surface.

He has been ranked at a career high of #3 in the world and has beaten all of the best players. Now ranked #30 because a number of injury bouts kept him off the tour last year, he is still just as determined every time he walks out on court. This year he won the title in Munich which was his 21st career title, and he reached the final in Dubai, his 27th career final, defeating Rafael Nadal en route.

“Any player who does well at a tournament likes to go back to that tournament,” Davydenko said. “There must be reason you do well there so you like to get that reason back. I feel this in Kuala Lumpur. Everybody was very nice there. I like the hotel (the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur) very much, my wife likes the shopping mall next door very much - this is why I had to win the tournament.”

This will be his third straight year at the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur. The 2009 season-ending ATP World Tour Finals and Shanghai Masters 1000 Champion, has won titles in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Youzhny

Youzhny meanwhile is an incredibly fit individual, and tennis fans have come to expect him to do his trade-mark salute whenever he wins a match. Last year at the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, then ranked in the world’s top-ten, he was happy to oblige four times (def. Alexandr Dolgopolov, Marcos Baghdatis, Igor Andreev and Andrey Golubev in a brilliant three-set final) as he put his racquet on his head and with his other hand saluted to the different sections of the crowd. He did double duty last year and also reached the semi-finals of the doubles with partner Sergiy Stakhovsky.

The 29 year old Muscovite is currently ranked #14 and is close to his career high ranking of #8. He has won 7 career singles titles and 8 career doubles titles and has reached 10 other singles finals. In 2011 he has made the semis of Gstaad last weekend, Hamburg and Marseille where he beat Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in back-to-back matches. He was also a quarter-finalist at Rotterdam and made the last 16 at Wimbledon.

“I am looking forward to coming back to Kuala Lumpur because I have good time there last year and everyone, they look after me so nicely,” Youzhny said from Switzerland where he was playing last weekend. The stadium was very good to play in and the people were nice and the buildings in the city are amazing. The two buildings with the bridge (the famous Petronas Towers) are incredible. I had not been to Malaysia before so did not know what to expect – and was very nicely surprised.”

For more information and updates on the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur 2011, please log on to www.MalaysianOpenTennis.com

WIMBLEDON CHAMPION AND SERBIAN DAVIS CUP HEROES HEADING TO MALAYSIAN OPEN, KUALA LUMPUR

The third year of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, continues to step up to the line and Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 24 September to 2 October, 2011, is going to produce some excellent tennis.

Melzer

Tournament Director Nick Freyer today announced that Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Serbs Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic will join sensational Aussie teenager Bernard Tomic as part of the line-up of players.

“Fans of the tournament have been asking for fresh stars to get to know for the third edition of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, and we continue to work hard in being able to deliver on this, but at the same time accommodating many old friends, who wanted to return for a second or third year,” Freyer said.

“I am really delighted that Jurgen Melzer, Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic will be making their debuts in Malaysia. With their strong rankings and with one being a Wimbledon Champion and the other two Davis Cup heroes for Serbia, we are excited to be able to welcome them, and look forward to introducing them to Malaysian fans.”

Melzer can lay claim to something not even Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer have achieved. He is the only player in men’s tennis this year to have captured titles at Wimbledon the last two years. In 2010 he teamed with German Philipp Petzschner to win the Gentlemen’s Doubles and this year claimed the Mixed Doubles with Iveta Benesova.

The 30 year old left-hander is ranked 18 in the world this week, ten places off his career ranking of #8 from four months ago. He has won three career titles and was a finalist seven other times. In 2011 he reached the last 16 at the Australian Open was a quarterfinalist three times (most recently last week in Hamburg) and a semi-finalist one other time.

Tipsarevic

“I have played throughout Asia but have never taken the opportunity to visit Kuala Lumpur before now and I am really looking forward to it,” Melzer said. “Other players have told me the hospitality and hotel is great and the people and fans there are very enthusiastic and welcoming. I think it will be great to visit a new country and city so, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

Troicki and Tipsarevic have been producing their best tennis over the last year, which was most definitely highlighted by the incredible run Serbia had in the 2010 Davis Cup, which lead to them winning the coveted Championship for the very first time. Both players make it clear that the Davis Cup victory has given them even more confidence on court.

Troicki, 25, reached a career high ranking of 12 this year and is currently #15. He has one career title and has reached three other finals including Sydney this year. Also in 2011 he made the last 16 at the French Open, was a semi-finalist once and a quarter-finalist three other times.

Meanwhile, Tipsarevic who is seen as a bit of a philosopher on the Tour is quite a character with his tattoos and the wrap-around glare glasses he wears when he plays. The 27 year old is enjoying a career high ranking of 23 and has won two titles this year, Delray Beach on hard court and Eastbourne on grass. He has also twice been a semi-finalist in 2011.

Troicki

Tickets for the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur have been selling at an outstanding rate; in fact ticket sales have been moving at their fastest pace in the tournament’s three-year history.

“The new ticketing structure that makes the tournament accessible to everyone has caught on superbly and the way things are going I envisage a fantastic atmosphere at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil,” Freyer said.

A concept started in the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur’s first year has become a tradition and will happen again in 2011; the tournament will give a main draw doubles wild card to a local player who will team up with one of the international marquee players.

“You can’t buy experience like that,” Freyer added. “We’ll keep it a surprise till closer the time as to whom the two players will be but I am sure the fans will really enjoy that match.”

The Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, a founding sponsor of the tournament, will continue to be the Official Hotel of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur. The hotel remains a player favorite on the ATP World Tour.

For more information and updates on the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur 2011, please log on to www.MalaysianOpenTennis.com