KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s top women’s squash player, S. Sivasangari, is cautious of jinxing her chances of securing her second title of the year, despite being one win away from the Malaysia Squash Cup crown at The Curve, Damansara.
As the top seed, Sivasangari breezed past Scotland’s Georgia Adderley, winning 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in just 31 minutes.
While the scoreline suggests a straightforward victory, the Kedah-born player remains grounded, knowing there is still one more hurdle in tomorrow’s final.
The recent loss at the China Open two weeks ago provided valuable lessons that Sivasangari has used to improve her game this week.
At the time, Sivasangari was the favourite to reach the final, but despite leading in the first two sets in the semifinals against Egypt’s Farida Mohamed, the 25-year-old faltered, losing 11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 8-11, 9-11.
“I think I played better compared to two weeks ago in China. I had a clearer game plan and executed it well, so I’m happy with my performance today.
“I don’t want to talk much about the final, but I always focus on myself. Every opponent is tough, and on their best day, they can play really well—just like I can,” she said after the match.
Reflecting on the pressure of playing at home, Sivasangari added, “I enjoy playing in front of the home crowd. When I play overseas, like in Egypt, I’m the visiting player.
“But playing at home also comes with its own pressure. I’ve shown I can perform under pressure, and I’m happy because the support from the fans really helped me.”
Sivasangari will face either compatriot Rachel Arnold or Egypt’s two-time world junior champion, Amina Orfi, in tomorrow’s final.
If Sivasangari clinches the title, it will be her second victory of the year, following her historic win at the London Classic in April.
“Both players have been achieving great results lately—Rachel recently won the China Open, and Amina just broke into the world top 10 rankings,” she said.
“I think it will be a tight match tomorrow, but if I play my game, I believe the results will follow.” — November 16, 2024