KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia clinched another spot in the World Squash Championships in May when two national women’s squash players disposed of their Hong Kong opponents to check into the final of the Asia Zone Qualifiers.
In today’s semi-finals of the Asian Zone Qualifiers at the Jalan Duta Squash Centre here, rising star K. Sehveetrraa outlasted seventh-seeded Toby Tse 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 in 23 minutes, while Chan Yi Wen booked her place in the title showdown by stunning top seed Cheng Nga Ching 11-5, 11-1, 11-8.
Sehveetrraa, aged 19, was delighted to have reached the final after recovering from a hamstring injury.
“I am proud of what I have achieved so far. I’ve worked hard for this tournament.
“This is my first tournament since returning to action after my (hamstring) injury and I am happy to have reached the final. For tomorrow’s game, I will give it my best shot again,” she said in a statement issued by the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM).
Twenty-four-year-old Yi Wen was also satisfied with her performance and vowed to stick with her game plan for the final.
National men’s squash player Ng Eain Yow and three women players — S. Sivasangari, Aira Azman and Aifa Azman — had earlier confirmed their places for the May 9-17 World Squash Championships to be held in Cairo, Egypt.
Meanwhile, national men’s ace Addeen Idrakie Bakhtiar took one step closer to realising his dream of playing in the World Championships for the first time after 12 years when he disposed of Hong Kong’s Tan Ming Hong 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-6 in the semi-finals in 69 minutes.
Addeen Idrakie is set to face top seed Ryunosuke Tsukue in the final after the Japanese player downed Malaysia’s Bryan Tze in the other semi-final.
“Tomorrow (in the final), it will be 50-50 between me and him (Tsukue) because he is also a good player.
“Although I lost to him in the previous match, this is Malaysia… I will have the support of my family and fans, so that will be an advantage.
“More importantly, I need to stay focused and play better than today,” said Addeen Idrakie. — April 20, 2024