Kanza ismail Hameed is just not a budding tennis player from Maldives. She is also an aspiring writer.
The 13-year is seeded eighth in the girl’s singles competition at the ongoing ATF Asia Under-14 Development Championships at the Morodok Tennis Complex. She was quarter-finalist here last week and made it into the quarter-finals again this week.
Earlier today, the 13-year-old she overcame an early resistance from Pakistani Eesha Rabbi before winning 7-5, 6-0 to make the quarter-finals once again.
“I love reading and also writing poetry,” said Kanza, whose favourite genre is fantasy.
Kanza will be up against Week 1 champion Maristella Torrecampo in a difficult quarter-final tie tomorrow.
It may be an arduous task for her not only tomorrow but in the future as she hopes to stamp her mark in tennis she is ready for it.
“I took up the game initially just to enjoy myself, but began to play more seriously when I was 11,” said Kanza, who was introduced to the game by her grandfather.
The lass also took the decision to relocate out of Maldives in pursuit of improving her tennis.
She was based in Thailand for almost two years in pursuit of improving her game. She now pursues high-performance tennis alongside a world-class British education in Malaysia.
“I like my stay in Malaysia. The tennis academy there is excellent,” said Kanza, who is attached with the Mouratoglou Tennis Programme at Epsom College in Bandar Enstek, near the Seremban city.
Being the only child, also sees Kanza’s dreams supported fully by her parents Ali Shan and Raidha Shafeeq. Her parents have also been travelling with her for tournaments, including for the past two weeks in Phnom Penh.
The relocation meant that she would also miss her friends back home, but she has also forged close friendship with her tennis peers.
She has been a member of the Maldives national junior U-12 and U-14 teams. She was the runners up in the U-12 singles and doubles winner with Clara Serena Asif.
Kanza, who also enjoys swimming and playing basketball, hopes to turn pro and play in the WTA circuit.
“Hopefully I can also improve quickly and play collegiate tennis before turning pro,” added the bubbly teenager.
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Aleksander Mikheichev failed to qualify for the boy’s singles quarter-finals. He took the fight to last week’s losing finalist Leon Ho Wei Xi of Singapore but was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 3-6.
Week 1 champion Le Phu Gia of Vietnam booked his last eight place with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Laotian Phoupha Chanthavong.
In the girl’s singles, both Week 1 finalist – Maristella Torrecampo of the Philippines and Aissata Enkhzaya Adama of Mongolia – are edging closer to a repeat meeting.
Pint sized Maristella was hardly tested as she defeated Khuslen Munkhbayar of Mongolia 6-1, 6-0 to book her quarter-final berth.
A dominant Aissata bagged a double bagel win over Silivet Chanthaphone of Laos, winning 6-0, 6-0.
RESULTS
SECOND ROUND
Boys singles: Nicholas Ming En Pak (Sgp) bt Rafi Al (Ban) 6-0, 6-1; Vu Tuan Phong (Vie) bt Islam Md Jobair (Ban) 6-0, 6-1; Le Phu Gia (Vie) bt Phoupha Chanthavong (Lao) 6-2, 6-2; Muhammad Ibraheem Gill (Pak) bt Yousuf Zaain Salaam (Mdv) 6-2, 6-2; Marcus Lorenzo Go (Phi) bt Sanazay Chansomphou (Lao) 6-0, 6-0; Alexi Luca Rafael Aldemita (Phi) bt Tshering Pelthop (Bhu) 6-0, 6-0; Muaz Mohammad (Pak) bt Dudu Tenzin (Bhu) 6-0, 6-1; Leon Ho Wei Xi (Sgp) bt Aleksander Mikheichev (Cam) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
Girls singles: To Binh Nhieh (Vie) bt Mastora Afrin (Ban) 6-0, 6-0; Hannah Tay (Sgp) bt Ofelia Soares (Tls) 6-0, 6-1; Wang Zixi (Sgp) bt Ella Mhae Paglalunan (Phi) 6-1, 6-3; Maristella Torrecampo (Phi) bt Khuslen Munkhbayar (Mgl) 6-1, 6-0; Aissata Enkhzaya Adama (Mgl) bt Silivet Chanthaphone (Lao) 6-0, 6-0; Kanza Ismail Hameed (Mdv) bt Eesha Rabbi (Pak) 7-5, 6-0; Nguyen Linh Nhi (Vie) bt Goh Wei Rou (Bru) 6-0, 6-0; Khajida Khalil (Pak) bt Jannat Howlader (Ban) 6-2, 6-2
QUARTER-FINALS
Boys doubles: Marcus Lorenzo Go-Alexi Luca Rafael Aldemita (Phi) bt Aleksander Mikheichev-Mean Sophanith (Cam) walkover; Le Phu Gia-Vu Thuan Phong (Vie) bt Islam Md Jobair-Rafi Al (Ban) 6-0, 6-1; Sanaxay Chansomphou-Phoupha Chantavong (Lao) bt Dudu Tenzin-Tshering Pelthop (Bhu) 6-1, 6-1; Nicholas Ming En Pak-Leon Ho Wei Xi (Sgp) bt Muhammad Muaz-Muhammad Ibraheem Gill (Pak) 6-3, 6-1
Girls doubles: Ella Mhae Paglalunan-Maristella Torrecampo (Phi) bt Ofelia Soares-Vinca Do Santos Lopes (Tls) 6-0, 6-0; Nguyen Linh Nhi-To Binh Nhieh (Vie) bt Eesha Rabbi-Khajida Khalil (Pak) 6-0. 6-0; Jannat Howlader-Mastora Afrin (Ban) bt Silivet Chathaphone-Manixone Phommavong (Lao) 6-2, 6-2; Khuslen Munkhbayar-Aissata Enkhzaya Adama (Mgl) bt Wang Zixi-Hannah Tay (Sgp) 7-6 (4) 6-4;
