KUALA LUMPUR – The Azman sisters are set to put aside their family love when they take on each other in the 39th WCE National Squash Championship at the National Squash Centre tomorrow.
Aira defeated Sehveetrraa Kumar 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 2-11, 11-3 in 37 minutes, while Aifa defeated Ainaa Amani 13-11, 12-10, 2-11, 8-11, 11-6 after a 54-minute battle.
“This is my second final in the national championship, and I’m, of course, very happy. This time, my sister is also competing, and I’m looking forward to playing against her tomorrow.
“I find it always tougher to play against my sister because we often coach each other when the coach isn’t around, especially during international tournaments.
“I played against her earlier this year at the Australian Open in March and won, but at that time, she wasn’t fully fit. Actually, neither of us is 100% fit for this tournament, but we’re both looking forward to a good match and fair play tomorrow,” said Aira.
Meanwhile, Aifa said that she was a little stunned when Ainaa mounted a comeback after the latter went two sets down.
“I thought I could finish the match in three sets, but Ainaa came back, and I ended up injuring my knee towards the end of the fourth set.
“I knew I didn’t want to withdraw, so I continued with the fifth set even though I wasn’t fully prepared. I see this as part of my way of sharpening my mental strength that I’ve been working on for a long time, so I feel that in that respect, I did well.
“However, in terms of my game, the first two sets were quite good, but I need to improve further,” said Aifa.
At the same time, in the Men’s Premier category, last year’s runner-up, Addeen Idrakie, defeated Hafiz Zhafri Abdul Harif in the semi-finals today with a score of 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 in 47 minutes.
“I think winning a national championship is a dream for everyone in their career, and it’s especially significant for me, as I’ve been competing in nationals for over 10 years.
“I’m eager to perform well tomorrow, particularly because my entire family, including my in-laws, along with my wife and son, are here. I want to make them proud and do my best for them,” said Addeen.
Addeen’s opponent in tomorrow’s final will be Syafiq Kamal, who defeated Joachim Chuah with a score of 5-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 in 49 minutes. – August 3, 2024