Birthday boy Harith claims Auckland Open title
KUALA LUMPUR: Squash player Harith Danial scored the best birthday present he could hope for after beating compatriot Low Wa Sern in the final of the Auckland Open PSA Challenger in New Zealand today (May 25).
Harith, who turned 19 yesterday (May 24), was forced to dig deep before securing a 11-5, 2-11, 16-14, 10-12, 11-6 win over Wa Sern (world No. 598) in 68 minutes.
For Harith, who is the world No. 473, it was his second title this month after winning the UWE X Ace PSA Satellite in Bristol a fortnight ago.
Harith, who has been based in Bristol since last year, said: "Wa Sern gave me a real tough fight in the final so I am glad to win."
"Winning the title here is the best birthday present for me, especially since it is my first challenger title. It means a lot to me.
"I am truly grateful to those who have supported me on and off the court. There is a long way to go but I will definitely treasure this moment. Hopefully more to come in the future."
Harith, who won bronze in the World Junior Championships in Houston last year, came back from a game down to stun world No. 196 Benjamin Ratcliffe of New Zealand 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in the semi-finals yesterday.
Wa Sern had also done well to upset world No. 276 Jooyoung Na of South Korea 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 in the semi-finals.
SRAM director of coaching Andrew Cross said it was a great week for Harith and Wa Sern who were seeded 12th and 13th in the tournament but defied the odds to reach the final.
"I am proud of their efforts," said Cross.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Coach backs Sivasangari to shine at British Open
NATIONAL squash ace S. Sivasangari is poised to reach new heights at the upcoming British Open, with her coach Ajaz Azmat backing the world No. 8 to deliver a standout performance in Birmingham. The 26-year-old Malaysian, who created history by making it to the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago earlier this month — a feat last achieved by Datuk Nicol David in 2017 — is brimming with confidence heading into the prestigious Diamond-level tournament. ALSO READ: Sivasangari smashes history – ends Malaysia's 8-year World Champs drought Sivasangari, who already clinched the Cincinnati Open title this year, has been training under the guidance of former world champion and three-time British Open winner Gregory Gaultier in Prague since April. 'Sivasangari's game has matured under Gaultier. I'm confident we'll see an even better version of her at the British Open,' Ajaz, who oversees her training in Malaysia, told New Straits Times. She starts her campaign with a first-round bye and is expected to cruise past her second-round match against either Scotland's world No. 53 Lisa Aitken or India's world No. 56 Anahat Singh. Her first major hurdle is anticipated in the third round against Japan's world No. 9 Satomi Watanabe, who, like Sivasangari, reached the World Championships quarter-finals and recently made the final of the Palm Hills Open in Giza. 'Satomi did well to reach the Palm Hills final and will be full of confidence going into Birmingham,' said Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross. If Sivasangari overcomes Satomi, she is likely to face Egypt's world No. 5 Amina Orfi in the quarter-finals — a rematch of their Malaysia Cup clash in November, which Orfi won. Last year, Sivasangari exited the British Open in the second round after falling to Egyptian star Nour El Sherbini. In the men's draw, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow, ranked 12th in the world, also received a first-round bye. He will face France's Victor Crouin (No. 14) in a tough second-round encounter. 'Matches against Crouin are always tight,' said Cross. 'He had to dig deep to beat him 20-18 in the fifth game at last year's Singapore Open.' Victory could set Eain Yow up for a quarter-final showdown with world No. 5 Joel Makin of Wales. Meanwhile, Rachel Arnold (No. 19), Aifa Azman (No. 39), and Ainaa Amani (No. 48) will also represent Malaysia in the women's main draw. Rachel will play Egypt's Kenzy Ayman (No. 38), Aifa meets Zeina Mickawy (No. 29), while Ainaa faces England's world No. 25 Sarah-Jane Perry in their opening matches.
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
'Better than ever' – Coach backs Sivasangari to shine at British Open
NATIONAL squash ace S. Sivasangari is poised to reach new heights at the upcoming British Open, with her coach Ajaz Azmat backing the world No. 8 to deliver a standout performance in Birmingham. The 26-year-old Malaysian, who created history by making it to the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago earlier this month — a feat last achieved by Datuk Nicol David in 2017 — is brimming with confidence heading into the prestigious Diamond-level tournament. Sivasangari, who already clinched the Cincinnati Open title this year, has been training under the guidance of former world champion and three-time British Open winner Gregory Gaultier in Prague since April. 'Sivasangari's game has matured under Gaultier. I'm confident we'll see an even better version of her at the British Open,' Ajaz, who oversees her training in Malaysia, told New Straits Times. She starts her campaign with a first-round bye and is expected to cruise past her second-round match against either Scotland's world No. 53 Lisa Aitken or India's world No. 56 Anahat Singh. Her first major hurdle is anticipated in the third round against Japan's world No. 9 Satomi Watanabe, who, like Sivasangari, reached the World Championships quarter-finals and recently made the final of the Palm Hills Open in Giza. 'Satomi did well to reach the Palm Hills final and will be full of confidence going into Birmingham,' said Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross. If Sivasangari overcomes Satomi, she is likely to face Egypt's world No. 5 Amina Orfi in the quarter-finals — a rematch of their Malaysia Cup clash in November, which Orfi won. Last year, Sivasangari exited the British Open in the second round after falling to Egyptian star Nour El Sherbini. In the men's draw, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow, ranked 12th in the world, also received a first-round bye. He will face France's Victor Crouin (No. 14) in a tough second-round encounter. 'Matches against Crouin are always tight,' said Cross. 'He had to dig deep to beat him 20-18 in the fifth game at last year's Singapore Open.' Victory could set Eain Yow up for a quarter-final showdown with world No. 5 Joel Makin of Wales. Meanwhile, Rachel Arnold (No. 19), Aifa Azman (No. 39), and Ainaa Amani (No. 48) will also represent Malaysia in the women's main draw. Rachel will play Egypt's Kenzy Ayman (No. 38), Aifa meets Zeina Mickawy (No. 29), while Ainaa faces England's world No. 25 Sarah-Jane Perry in their opening matches.
New Straits Times
25-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Birthday boy Harith claims Auckland Open title
KUALA LUMPUR: Squash player Harith Danial scored the best birthday present he could hope for after beating compatriot Low Wa Sern in the final of the Auckland Open PSA Challenger in New Zealand today (May 25). Harith, who turned 19 yesterday (May 24), was forced to dig deep before securing a 11-5, 2-11, 16-14, 10-12, 11-6 win over Wa Sern (world No. 598) in 68 minutes. For Harith, who is the world No. 473, it was his second title this month after winning the UWE X Ace PSA Satellite in Bristol a fortnight ago. Harith, who has been based in Bristol since last year, said: "Wa Sern gave me a real tough fight in the final so I am glad to win." "Winning the title here is the best birthday present for me, especially since it is my first challenger title. It means a lot to me. "I am truly grateful to those who have supported me on and off the court. There is a long way to go but I will definitely treasure this moment. Hopefully more to come in the future." Harith, who won bronze in the World Junior Championships in Houston last year, came back from a game down to stun world No. 196 Benjamin Ratcliffe of New Zealand 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in the semi-finals yesterday. Wa Sern had also done well to upset world No. 276 Jooyoung Na of South Korea 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 in the semi-finals. SRAM director of coaching Andrew Cross said it was a great week for Harith and Wa Sern who were seeded 12th and 13th in the tournament but defied the odds to reach the final. "I am proud of their efforts," said Cross.
