KUALA LUMPUR – The Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) is unwavering in its commitment in nurturing talent until it produces a player destined for the sport’s prestigious Grand Slams.
The Grand Slam tournaments, also known as the majors, are the world’s four most important annual professional tennis events.
They are the Australian Open in January, the French Open in May, Wimbledon in June and the US Open in August, with each played over two weeks.
LTAM president Mirzan Mahathir said that the national body was working hard to mould its players by exposing them to numerous tournaments at both the national and international levels.
“We are a group of volunteers running this association, and we are giving our 100% to elevate the standard of the sport as our players have a lot of potential.
“We are not far from achieving our ultimate goal of seeing our players on the Grand Slam stage, as our players have shown a lot of progress in the tournaments they participate in.
“If our neighbours can do it, we can do it too. I hope to achieve our goal during my tenure if possible. Even if it doesn’t happen during my tenure, I hope that my successors can continue what I started.
“Currently, we have Mohd Assri Merzuki, who is ranked 802nd by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and we aim to produce more players like him,” said Mirzan in a press conference at the National Tennis Centre yesterday.
The 29-year-old Assri, born in Sabah, had won a bronze in the men’s team event at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.
Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan was the first player from Asia and Southeast Asia to reach the top 10 in the ATP’s men’s singles rankings, attaining a career-high ranking of ninth in 2003.
The former professional has five career titles under his belt and has won a total of US$3,459,655 (RM16,078,746) in prize money throughout his 16-year playing career (1994-2010).
For the record, the Malaysian women’s national team secured a commendable sixth place in the Billie Jean King Cup last July, triumphing over Hong Kong in the classification match.
Malaysia lay fifth in the all-time SEA Games medal table for tennis, with a remarkable tally of 21 medals, including three silvers and 18 bronzes.
The men’s doubles pair of Zainuddin Meah and Mohd Akbar Baba hold historical significance as the first Malaysians to clinch a medal in the SEA Games, achieving this milestone at the 1973 edition in Singapore.
Malaysia also have a record of winning two bronze medals in the Asian Games, in 1978 and 1982 respectively. – January 13, 2024