Change of fortune?
Sivasangari, Eain yow one step away from q-finals to end long wait
PETALING JAYA: S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow are on the brink of ending a seven-year wait for Malaysia to see a representative in the quarter-finals of the World Championships.
Yesterday, Sivasangari and Eain Yow were in commanding form when they blew away their second round opponents to progress to the last 16 in the women and men’s events in Cairo.
The duo are trying to break the quarter-final jinx as no Malaysian player has managed to reach the last eight since squash legend Datuk Nicol David’s achievement in the world meet in 2017.
World No. 13 Sivasangari looks bent on achieving it as she did not face any trouble overcoming American world No. 59 Caroline Fouts 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 in a second round match that lasted for just 24 minutes.
She will play the winner of the match between world no. 3 Hania El Hammamy and Melissa Alves of Spain.
Sivasangari has already issued a warning after winning the Professional Squash Association (PSA) gold event – the London Classic – last month.
Her run at the London Classic included wins over Egyptian duo – El Hammamy and world No. 1 Nour Elsherbini – and Belgian world no. 4 Nele Gilis and Sivasangari will be hoping to cash in on that momentum in Cairo.
The world No. 18 Eain Yow was also in fiery form as he outplayed Ryunosuke Tsukue of Japan 11-1, 11-5, 11-9 win in 36 minutes.
He will face either world No. 2 Poul Coll of New Zealand or Leonel Cardenas of Mexico next.
Sivasangari and Eain Yow are the only two Malaysians left in the tournament following the defeats of Addeen Idrakie and Aira Azman.
Addeen lost 5-11, 6-11, 7-11 to former world champion and world No. 5 Karim El Gawad of Egypt in 28 minutes in the second round on Saturday.
However, world No. 65 Addeen can still walk tall as he was a last minute inclusion at the world meet due to withdrawals and did well to beat world No. 43 Karim El Hammamy of Egypt in the first round.
It’s over for world No. 37 Aira as she was unable to mount a challenge against world No. 6 Georgina Kennedy of England where the 19-year-old Malaysian lost 6-11, 3-11, 6-11 in the second round.