KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s squash player Ainaa Amani Ampandi will be the underdog in the ACE Challenger Tour 12K final, as nobody expected her to make it through.
Ainaa successfully defeated Indian player Akanksha Salunkhe 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 in the semi-final today, held at the National Squash Centre in Jalan Duta.
It has been a long wait for Ainaa, as this will be her first final of the year.
The 22-year-old player is determined to look ahead as she prepares to compete in the final tomorrow against Egypt’s Hana Ismail.
“Since I have lost in the semi-finals many times before, including recently at the National Championships where I lost narrowly, finally making it to the final is a significant achievement for me. This will be my first final of the year.
“I admit it has been mentally challenging because I’ve often faced higher-seeded players in tournaments. But given the chance to reach the final today, despite a tough draw, I did my best, and I’m happy to have regained my rhythm,” said Ainaa to Scoop.
However, it won’t be an easy task, as Hana secured her place in the final by defeating the tournament’s top seed, Aifa Azman, in the semi-finals with scores of 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8.
Therefore, Ainaa is aware that she must stay vigilant, even though she recently defeated the Egyptian player during the semi-finals of the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Negeri Sembilan last week.
If Ainaa manages to win this tournament, it will be her second title, following her first victory at the Hong Kong Squash PSA Challenge Cup in March last year.
“I won against Hana 3-1 last week, but seeing that she defeated Aifa today, I know it’s going to be a different challenge because she will be aiming to do her best.
“Even though we’ll be facing each other again tomorrow, I hope I can bring back the form I had last week to prepare for this match.
“I believe mental strength will be crucial tomorrow. In finals, some players can feel too much pressure, so I need to manage my emotions well and adapt to the environment. Even though I recently won against her, I can’t afford to be overconfident,” she added.
In the men’s category, both Malaysian representatives, Ameeshanraj Chandran and Adden Idrakie Bakhtiar, faced defeat against their respective opponents.
Ameeshanraj bowed to the prowess of the tournament’s top seed from India, Velavan Senthilkumar, with a score of 11-3, 11-7, 11-5. Meanwhile, Adden missed his chance to reach the final after losing to Pakistan’s Noor Zaman in a closely contested match, with scores of 11-7, 8-11, 14-12, 11-7. – September 7, 2024