From heartbreak to hope
Gearing up for glory: Rachel Arnold is ready for a smashing show in a bid to become the best in Asia. — PSA Squash Tour
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
From heartbreak to hope
Gearing up for glory: Rachel Arnold is ready for a smashing show in a bid to become the best in Asia. — PSA Squash Tour
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Asian meet top seed Rachel gets a shot at redemption in Kuching
Rachel Arnold. - PSA Squash Tour PETALING JAYA: National squash player Rachel Arnold has a chance to erase a four-year bitter disappointment at the Asian Championships when the tournament starts on Tuesday in Kuching, Sarawak. The world No. 19 Rachel clearly has not forgotten how close she came to becoming the Asian champion for the first time in 2021. Then she fought hard but let slip a good chance when she lost to Hong Kong's Tong Tsz Wing in the women's final in Pakistan. National head coach Ajaz Azmat believes Rachel has been on a good trajectory heading to Kuching, after making it to the Squash On Fire Open finals in April. Her only recent blemish was being handed an upset at the British Open last month when she fell to world No. 34 Kenzy Ayman of Egypt in the opening round. "Rachel has been doing well. It was just at the British Open that she fell off slightly,' said Ajaz. "But she is determined to do well in the Asian Championships in her home country. It will also be important for her to do well to maintain her top 20 rankings." Rachel is the top seed for the Asian meet after compatriot S. Sivasangari and Japan's Satomi Watanabe withdrew from the tournament. World No. 7 Watanabe and world No. 8 Sivasangari won't be competing in Kuching as they got their spots to play in the PSA World Tour Finals in Toronto, Canada, from June 23-27. Watanabe was initially the top seed while Sivasangari was second. National coaching director Andrew Cross also echoed Ajaz's sentiment on Rachel's chance this year. "She's the top seed, and I'm sure she will be in good shape to compete with a hope of winning her first Asian title," he said. The last Malaysian to be Asian champion was Nicol David in 2015, when she defeated Hong Kong's Annie Au in Kuwait. Other Malaysians gunning for the title also include the Azman sisters, Aira and Aifa, who are second and fifth seed, respectively.
![Sivasangari cruises into maiden British Open quarter-finals [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2FSIVA_1748996849.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![Sivasangari cruises into maiden British Open quarter-finals [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
04-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Sivasangari cruises into maiden British Open quarter-finals [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: S. Sivasangari marched into the quarter finals of the British Open for the first time following an impressive display against Japan's Satomi Watanabe in Birmingham on Tuesday. World No. 9 Sivasangari, appearing in her fifth British Open, defeated world No. 7 Satomi 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-4 in 45 minutes. The 26-year-old Malaysian had never lost to Watanabe in all six previous meetings on the PSA Tour as well as defeating the Japan No.1 in the semi-finals of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. "It feels great reaching the quarter finals of the British Open," Sivasangari told PSA Squash Tour. "I think last year I got eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini in the first round, and that was a pretty tough draw. "Satomi has been playing really well recently, and we've played each other since we were in juniors, we're the same age, and she's a good friend as well. ""Today, I'm really happy with my performance. I focused on my game and on making it further in Platinum events." Facing the Malaysian, who won the Cincinnati Open in February, in the quarter-final is No.4 seed Amina Orfi, after the Egyptian avenged a painful defeat to Nada Abbas at this year's World Championships with a convincing 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 win over her compatriot. Amina beat Sivasangari in the Malaysia Cup final and Singapore Open semi-finals last November.
