KUALA LUMPUR – National woman squash player Sehveetrraa Kumar achieved a remarkable milestone in her career when she stunned the tournament’s second seed, Akanksha Salunkhe, in the quarter-finals of the Asia zone qualifiers for the World Squash Championship held at the National Squash Centre, Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur today.
Sehveetrraa, ranked 124th in the world, displayed extraordinary determination as she overcame every challenge posed by Salunkhe, who is ranked 71st, securing a hard-fought victory of 1-6, 11-5, 11-8 in a gripping 38-minute encounter.
“I feel this is the biggest win of my career, especially since it’s the World Championship qualifiers and I’ve made it to the semi-finals.
“This is the first time I’ve beaten her, and I won with a 3-0 result. I’m proud of what I displayed in the court today.
“The last time I faced her was at the KCC PSA Challenge Cup in Hong Kong last October. I remember leading 2-0, but I couldn’t maintain the advantage and lost.
“So, a similar situation almost occurred in the third set today, but I reminded myself not to let the same thing happen again,” said Sehveetrraa.
Yesterday, the Kedah-born player eliminated the tournament’s sixth seed, Erisa Sano Hering from Japan in the first round.
Sehveetrraa has the opportunity to defeat another top seeded player when she faces Toby Tse from Hong Kong in tomorrow’s semifinals.
“My opponent tomorrow is Toby, and I’ve faced him several times before, but I haven’t been able to overcome her yet. I just want to continue this momentum and not dwell too much on it,” she added.
Meanwhile, her teammate Chan Yi Wen also secured an impressive victory, defeating Hong Kong’s Fung Ching Hei with a hard-fought score of 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9 in a gruelling 40-minute battle.
Yi Wen will face another Hong Kong representative, Cheng Nga Ching, who is also the first seed in the tournament, tomorrow.
“She (Ching Hei) gave me a tough challenge for today’s match, but I’m relieved that I managed to hold on. I didn’t fully focus in the second set, but my coach quickly reminded me to bounce back.
“As for tomorrow’s semi-final opponent, I have faced her frequently during my junior years, but that was a long time ago.
“Nevertheless, I still need to be prepared. I’m familiar with the playing style of Hong Kong players, and I hope to achieve a good result tomorrow,” said Yi Wen. – April 19, 2024