PETALING JAYA — National squash star Ng Eain Yow delivered an outstanding performance to upset top seed Youseff Soliman of Egypt and claim the Malaysia Squash Cup title at The Curve, Damansara, today.
The victory was particularly significant as Soliman, ranked 11th in the world, was the clear favourite.
The Egyptian had also bested Eain Yow in their previous encounters at the 2022 Hong Kong Football Club Open and the Singapore Open last year.
However, Eain Yow, now training in the United States, displayed remarkable resilience to turn the tables.
He swept past Soliman in straight sets, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, in just 50 minutes to secure the title and a prize of USD 9,025 (RM40,344).
Reflecting on his triumph, Eain Yow credited his breakthrough victory to a revamped training programme under coach Shaun Moxham in Connecticut.
“I try to keep everything inside. I don’t want anything to affect me, which is why I stay so focused on what I do. In the end, I try to control the things I can control, one point at a time.
“If I want to be a top player in the world, I can’t keep thinking about the players who’ve beaten me in the past. Head-to-head results don’t matter because today is a new match, and that’s the mindset I bring.
“As for my coaching, my team has remained the same, but I now spend more time in the United States. I think that has helped me because it’s something fresh and new. At the same time, I still stay in touch with my coach in Bristol,” said Eain Yow after the match.
This is Eain Yow’s second title of the year, following his win at the German Open in April.
In the women’s category, S. Sivasangari fell short of claiming her second title of the year, losing to Egypt’s Amina Orfi, a former world junior champion.
Despite being the top seed, Sivasangari was visibly disappointed, particularly after a controversial referee decision during the match.
She eventually lost 11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 6-11 in a gruelling 88-minute battle and received USD 5,700 (RM25,480) as the runner-up.
“The refereeing is something I can’t control. Sometimes, even players don’t know what’s going on. They are just doing the job they need to do.
“It might have been my mistake, or it could have been theirs. For me, I want to focus on controlling what I can,” said Sivasangari to the press after the match.
Both players will have little time to rest as they head to Singapore tomorrow for the Singapore Open, which begins on Wednesday. — November 17, 2024