a day ago
Nickhileswar and three others vie for Asian Junior squash titles
KUALA LUMPUR: M. Nickhileswar and three other Malaysians will be bidding for glory in their respective categories at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in South Korea on Saturday.
Top seed Nickhileswar marched into the boys' Under-17 final with a commanding 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 win over Japan's third seed Shu Takahashi at the Gimcheon Squash Centre on Friday.
He will face India's Aryaveer Dewan in the title match.
Aryaveer stunned Malaysia's second seed Aqil Mirza Naim Khairil Fariz 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 in the other semi-final.
Nickhileswar's run is all the more impressive given he has been managing a right ankle injury throughout the tournament.
"There was discomfort in the first two rounds, but I'm feeling much better now thanks to the physio," Nickhileswar told Timesport on Friday.
"It'll be my first meeting against Aryaveer. I know people expect me to win, but I won't put pressure on myself. My goal is to retain my Under-17 crown after winning it in Islamabad last year."
Nickhileswar also lifted the Under-15 title in Pattaya in 2022.
Meanwhile, second seed Low Wa Sern produced a dominant display to beat Japan's Renshi Makino 11-2, 11-6, 11-3 in the boys' Under-19 semi-finals.
He will face home favourite and top seed Na Jooyoung in the final.
Jooyoung, the World Junior Championship runner-up in Houston last year, fought back to beat Pakistan's Abdullah Nawaz 7-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-4 in the other semi-final.
In the girls' Under-17, second seed Harleein Tan overcame India's Anika Dubey 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 to reach the final.
Harleein, last year's Under-15 champion, will face top seed Helen Tang of Hong Kong.
In the girls' Under-15 event, Jinoreeka Ning defeated compatriot Siti Syaurah Sufian 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 in the semi-finals and will take on India's Saanvi Kalanki for the title.
In the girls' Under-19, third seed Whitney Isabelle Wilson settled for bronze after falling 14-12, 11-7, 11-6 to India's top seed Anahat Singh in the semi-finals.
There was disappointment in the girls' Under-13 as top seed Maisarah Khairul Nizam was knocked out 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 by Pakistan's third seed Mahnoor Ali in the semi-finals.
