2nd Edition Developing Pathways for Junior Elite Players
The eagerly anticipated second edition of the RSGC Tennis JDP Quarterly Medal Tournament took place on Sunday, 28 June 2026 at the covered and synthetic turf courts. It was encouraging to see participation increase from 27 players in the previous edition to 39 this time.
Players competed across various age groups in accordance with International Tennis Federation (ITF) standards, namely, Red Ball (ages four to eight), Orange Ball (ages nine to 10), Green Ball (ages 11 to 12) and Yellow Ball (ages 13 to 16). This edition also saw Tennis Town Academy introduce a doubles category, much to the delight of the young players.
The tournament provides junior tennis players with an opportunity to showcase their technical ability, mental resilience and competitive spirit. It also serves as an important benchmark to measure the progress of players enrolled in the Club’s Junior Development Programme, led by Coach Hazli Zainuddin and his team. Equally inspiring was the unwavering support shown by parents, whose dedication and sacrifices continue to play a vital role in helping their children pursue their sporting aspirations. Malaysia certainly has no shortage of promising young talent.
The day began at 7.00am with player registration, T-shirt distribution and a briefing conducted by Coach Zaki and Coach Agil. A committed team of coaches and national junior players assisted with umpiring duties throughout the tournament, while the Tournament Director handled parents’ enquiries with professionalism and patience. Matches commenced simultaneously at 8.30am.
The Red Ball category featured four groups, with the top two players from each progressing to the quarter-finals. Nik Zayn, Rafael Mukris, Roger Teh, Maya Indira, Adam Henry, Rafa Rafiq, Caspian Yip and Lim Yi Ci secured places in the knockout stage. In the semifinals, Nik Zayn defeated Rafael Mukris 10–6, 10–3, while Caspian Yip overcame Lim Yi Ci 10–3, 10–5. Caspian went on to win the title after defeating Nik Zayn 10–3, 5–10, 10–4 in a closely contested final. All eliminated participants received consolation medals in recognition of their efforts and to encourage their continued development.
Nine players competed in the Orange Ball category, which was divided into two groups. The standard of play was particularly impressive, with participants demonstrating solid fundamentals, including proper grips, the six basic strokes, effective footwork and sound body mechanics. In the semi-finals, Freddie Tan edged Conor Cheng 9–11, 10–5, 10–8, while Ayden Dewal defeated Jebat Jamil in straight sets, 10–6, 10–7. Ayden then captured the title by overcoming Freddie 10–5, 11–13, 7–2 in the deciding match tie-break. Conor finished third, followed by Jebat in fourth place.
Twelve players contested the Green Ball category, which was divided into four groups. Only the group winners advanced to the semi-finals. Lionel Tan defeated Cristan Cheng 10–0, 10–7, while Dylan Low Shen Ming overcame Knight Chan 11–9, 10–3. Cristan conceded a walkover to Knight in the third-place play-off due to a golf competition. In the final, Lionel, a devoted Lionel Messi fan, lost to Dylan in three sets, with Dylan prevailing 7–4 in the super tie-break.
Five players competed in the Yellow Ball category. Special recognition goes to Sharifah Aisyah, the only female participant, who displayed tremendous courage and determination while competing against the boys. Cohen Cheng defeated Jakob Rhys Teh 4–2, 4–2 in the final to secure the title. Kaleef Ilyaas claimed third place, while Cameron Cheng finished fourth.
The doubles competition was divided into two categories: Under Eight and Open Doubles. In the Under Eight division, Roger and Caspian defeated Nik Zayn and Rafael 7–5, 7–1 to claim the title. In the Open Doubles category, Lionel partnered Zayden Khaldun, while Knight teamed up with Kaleef Ilyaas. The formidable pairing of Lionel and Zayden proved too strong, defeating Knight and Kaleef convincingly.
The event concluded with the medal presentation ceremony, officiated by Coach Hazli and Muhd Aiqal Rasman, Assistant Manager, Sports. Parents expressed their sincere appreciation to the Sports staff and the Junior Development Programme coaching team for their continued commitment to organising competitive opportunities for the Club’s young tennis players.
The next edition of the RSGC Tennis JDP Quarterly Medal Tournament will return in September 2026.
