Latest news with #ITF
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia makes swift return to Davis Cup Group III
KUALA LUMPUR: After suffering a disastrous outing in the Davis Cup last year, the national tennis squad gave fans plenty to smile about today (July 19). Malaysia secured promotion after beating Qatar 2-0 in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group IV promotional playoffs at the National Tennis Centre here. Despite feeling ill yesterday (July 18), key player Koay Hao Sheng, 26, did not disappoint as he downed Mubarak Alharrasi 7-5, 6-2 to give Malaysia a 1-0 lead. Darrshan Kumar, 18, then sealed promotion to Group III next season by beating Mubarak's brother, Mossa, 6-3, 6-1. Malaysia was, for the first time in history, relegated from Group III last year. Hao Sheng admitted that there was pressure on the squad to immediately bounce back this season. Malaysia was also the top seed in the competition. "I was feeling a bit dizzy yesterday but had a good rest last night and felt better today. I am quite satisfied with my performance today, I managed the pressure and the match quite well," said Hao Sheng. "There was definitely pressure on us because this is the first time we have been in Group IV and we wanted to go back to Group III really badly. "As the oldest player in the squad, I felt responsible for the team. The other players, however, did really well and that took some of the burden off my shoulders." And it was double-joy for the Perlis-born as he will be celebrating his birthday next week (July 27). "I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift, I really appreciate all the effort put in by the whole team," said Hao Sheng. The national squad topped Pool A earlier this week. They won all 11 matches they played, dropping only one set throughout the tournament. National team captain Adam Jaya promised he would rotate his players throughout the tournament and did just that, giving Darrshan, Leroy Yong and Daniel Prickett all a taste of singles action. Adam also switched them around with Naufal Kamaruzzaman in the doubles. "I am proud of my players because there were a lot of expectations on them, the whole nation wanted us to go back to Group III. They played well throughout the week," said Adam. "Hao Sheng has very good mental strength and showed great resilience even when he was not feeling well. "Darrshan, Leroy and Daniel are all of a similar level and rotating them kept our opponents guessing. It also creates good competition for spots in the team." As expected, unseeded favourites the Philippines, who topped Pool B, also secured promotion to Group III after beating Kygyzstan 2-0 in their playoff. Second seeds Pacific Oceana and Nepal were relegated to Group V next year after losing 2-1 to Iraq and 2-0 to Kuwait respectively in the relegation playoffs. The Philippines tennis federation was suspended by the ITF in late 2020 due to governance issues. The suspension was lifted in January last year which is why they are currently making their way back up from the lower divisions in both men's and women's tennis.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
More wheelchair events at ATP & WTA tournaments in 2026
More professional wheelchair tennis events will take place at ATP and WTA tournaments next year following the approval of a new calendar structure by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). While the specific events have not yet been confirmed, the ITF said a "significant number" of new ones will take place at ATP and WTA tournaments, creating a calendar including "higher standards" and "elevated prize money". The four Grand Slams currently have both wheelchair and non-wheelchair events, in addition to six ATP and and WTA tournaments. Great Britain's Alfie Hewett - a 33-time Grand Slam champion across singles and doubles - said the expansion presents a "great opportunity for players to take their careers to the next level". World number two Hewett, who was beaten by Tokito Oda in the Wimbledon wheelchair singles final, added: "Now is the time to take the chance to grow our sport even further and make integrated events the norm rather than the exception." The ITF's president, David Haggerty, said the governing body was "building on the success of the small number of existing integrated events to create a tour that is even more effective in enhancing the careers of professional and aspiring players." From 2026, the wheelchair tennis tour will be split into three tiers: Premier, International and Development. The Premier Tier is the highest level, with tournaments to be graded as Grand Slam or Masters events, or 1000, 500 and 250 as per ATP and WTA events.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
More wheelchair events at ATP & WTA tournaments in 2026
More professional wheelchair tennis events will take place at ATP and WTA tournaments next year following the approval of a new calendar structure by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).While the specific events have not yet been confirmed, the ITF said a "significant number" of new ones will take place at ATP and WTA tournaments, creating a calendar including "higher standards" and "elevated prize money".The four Grand Slams currently have both wheelchair and non-wheelchair events, in addition to six ATP and and WTA Britain's Alfie Hewett - a 33-time Grand Slam champion across singles and doubles - said the expansion presents a "great opportunity for players to take their careers to the next level".World number two Hewett, who was beaten by Tokito Oda in the Wimbledon wheelchair singles final, added: "Now is the time to take the chance to grow our sport even further and make integrated events the norm rather than the exception."The ITF's president, David Haggerty, said the governing body was "building on the success of the small number of existing integrated events to create a tour that is even more effective in enhancing the careers of professional and aspiring players."From 2026, the wheelchair tennis tour will be split into three tiers: Premier, International and Premier Tier is the highest level, with tournaments to be graded as Grand Slam or Masters events, or 1000, 500 and 250 as per ATP and WTA events.
The Citizen
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Furrows dominate Rootman to clinch men's title
Second seed Shane Furrows crushed top seed Heinrich Rootman in straight sets to win the Ekurhuleni Amex Super Eight men's singles title at the Gauteng East Tennis Association (GETA) complex on July 17. Furrows dominated both the long and short rallies, successfully containing Rootman's aggression to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Rootman started with high energy and had several chances to take the first set, but he was inconsistent. While it wasn't an easy win, Furrows praised his opponent for making him work. 'I played well. Heinrich is very solid. I was 4–0 up in the first set, but he won three successive games, including two breaks. I thought I was in trouble, but I kept my head in the game and got through it,' said Furrows. While the opening point of the match was brief as Furrows took an early lead, the second featured a 19-ball rally that ended with a backhand winner from Furrows. Despite Rootman's powerful strikes, Furrows' calmness and experience made the difference. He raced to a 4–0 lead before a lapse in concentration allowed Rootman to win the next three games. However, Furrows quickly regained control, using a combination of power, placement, and pressure to force unforced errors from his frustrated opponent. He closed out the set by winning the final two games, 6–3. The second set saw continued long rallies, though less drama. Furrows took the first two points, and while Rootman clawed back to 2–1, he couldn't keep up with Furrows' tactical play. The second seed maintained the upper hand in the serving battle to close out the match 6–2. Rootman acknowledged Furrows' dominance: 'It was a tough match. We played a couple of insanely long rallies. Credit to Shane. I think he missed five balls in the entire match. He didn't miss the big points. I was playing out of my comfort zone and it forced me to miss some balls.' Other results: Women's singles final: Unseeded Bosnian Iman Bajramovic defeated fourth seed Almè van Schalkwyk 6–3, 6–2. 'I'm happy I won because I went through many mental blocks to get to playing strong and getting match points,' said Bajramovic. U12 girls' final: Paris Omenogor beat Emma van Rooyen 6–1, 6–2; U14 girls' final: Kamogelo Plaatjie beat Lisa Jonker 6–3, 6–0; U16 girls' final: Wendy Modiba (Limpopo) beat Megan van Vuuren 6–1, 6–2; U12 boys' final: Cole Joyce beat Judah Brasg 7-6, 6-3; U14 boys' final: Johann van der Walt beat Veer Trikamjee; U16 boys' final: Jordan James Haynes beat Luke Verwey 6–3, 6–3. Also Read: The Corner Flag: Courts are rotting away Also Read: Clinical Sikhosana and Aksak win ITF tourney at GETA At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Unifor concerned about increase in marine vessel inspection refusals
HALIFAX, NS, July 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor is concerned by reports of International Transport Federation (ITF) Inspectors being refused access to ships in port in Halifax, Vancouver and in Montreal as part of their routine efforts to ensure minimum working and living conditions for the crew are being met. "As crew on transport ships, workers spend months at sea travelling from port to port where they are vulnerable to exploitation, mistreatment, and in some cases not being paid," said Unifor National President Lana Payne, who also sits on the Executive Board of the ITF. "Any ship captain who is upholding international standards would have no reason to refuse access to the ITF Inspector, so an increasing number of refusals is reason for concern." The International Transport Federation (ITF) Inspectorate is a network of 147 Inspectors and Contacts based in ports all over the world. Their job is to inspect ships calling in their ports to ensure the seafarers have decent pay, working conditions and living conditions on board. They conduct routine inspections and also visit ships on request of the crew. If necessary, they assist with actions to protect seafarers' rights as permitted by law. "When your job involves months of being in the most remote of locations and you are at the mercy of multi-national corporations flying flags of convenience in international waters, it's the ITF Inspectors that are your source of support and representation," said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray. "If a ship comes to a Canadian port, they should expect us to care and respond to how workers aboard are being treated." The ITF has pointed to a Slovenian-based corporation, Lanibra, that has created its own organization that claims to represent seafarers and that, in its view, has authority over the vessel in place of the ITF. The ITF letter to the Slovenian government highlights this conflict of interest, saying: "This is a clear violation of ILO Convention 98, which guarantees workers the right to organise without interference from employers. It also breaches Slovenian national law, which requires unions to be genuinely independent. A trade union cannot claim to represent seafarers when it's run by those who profit from them." Unifor is encouraging its members to sign the ITF petition to have the Slovenian government investigate the sham organization and take immediate steps to uphold the law and de-register the Lanibra-led corporate 'union'. "Having an inspection refused worries me because I've spoken with so many seafarers who are being kept from going home by their employers, or who aren't being fed well or paid what they're due. So, I'm definitely concerned about the workers aboard those vessels and what their working conditions are like," said ITF Coordinator (Canada) Karl Risser. "Seafarers deserve to be respected and we're here to make sure that's happening." Sign the ITF petition here. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
