KUALA LUMPUR – The hard work has finally paid off for national squash player Ainaa Amani Ampandi, as she was crowned the champion of the ACE Challenger Tour, marking her first title of the year.
The Selangor-born player defeated Hana Ismail from Egypt with a score of 11-9, 11-4, 11-7, repeating her stellar performance after eliminating the same player in the quarter-finals of the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Negri Sembilan last week.
Though it took just 35 minutes to seal her victory, Ainaa’s journey to this moment has been anything but easy.
Over the past few months, she has battled through disappointment and exclusion, most notably missing out on selection for the Hangzhou Asian Games and being left out of Malaysia’s elite Road to Gold programme which is preparing athletes for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Undeterred, the 22-year-old restructured her training regimen under the guidance of coaches Andrew Cross and Nafiizwan Adnan, putting in the extra hours to refine her game and reclaim her position among Malaysia’s top squash talents.
“Today is more about mindset. I just defeated (Hana) last week 3-1 at the Tuanku Mukhriz Trophy, which gives me an advantage. Winning another title, which is my third overall and the first of the year, has made me very grateful.
“Earlier this year, I was struggling because I had to compete in the World Tour against top 10 players. I needed to adapt to their playing style, which was much more advanced than mine, so thank god I managed to do so.
“Moreover, starting the season, I had to face the top three players in Malaysia, including Aira and Aifaa Azman, and I came close to beating them. Finally winning another title, I believe, proves to them that I’m still here and as good as ever or maybe even better.
“Behind the scenes, it was quite tough with ups and downs. I also needed to study part-time while playing squash morning and evening. As for the training programme, before the season started, I made a lot of changes to how the top players train,” said Ainaa after the match.
This victory will help Ainaa climb to the top 50 in the world rankings, given that she is currently ranked 55th.
However, her sights are set even higher, as she aims to break into the top 40 by year’s end.
Next up, Ainaa will head to the United States for a series of tournaments as she continues her journey towards the top. – September 8, 2024