KUALA LUMPUR – Having just recovered from an injury a month ago, women’s singles shuttler Siti Nurshuhaini Azman took her time to get going in the qualifying round of the Kuala Lumpur Masters at Stadium Titiwangsa today.
Seeded third for qualifying, Siti took on compatriot Joanne Ng in her first game today. She had to come back from a set down to defeat Joanne 17-21, 21-16, 21-16.
In her second game of the day, she faced Han Yu-chen of Chinese Taipei and won in straight sets, 21-18, 21-17.
“In the first match (against Joanne), I didn’t feel comfortable, maybe because it has been a while since I played a tournament.
“But in the second and third sets, I got the feel back and felt more comfortable and was able to execute my own game.
“In my second match, I found my rhythm and felt more comfortable with my movement. I was able to put my opponent in bad spots with my strokes.
“In the second set, I was trailing a bit, but I tried to regain my composure and take one point at a time. My coach told me to be patient; there is no need to rush my shots,” she said.
With her two wins today, Siti will play Mansi Singh from India in the first round of the main draw tomorrow.
“For this tournament, I just want to take one game at a time. I haven’t played in a championship in a while, so I just want to do my best.
“My fitness is good considering I just recovered from a muscle tear in my left thigh.
“I was injured in September, and this is my first tournament after recovering,” said Siti, who added that her injury did not bother her as it is fully healed. – October 31, 2023