Syafiq proves form book wrong
YSD chairman (centre) with the national cyclists after presenting the RM2.6 million sponsorship for a third Olympic cycle yesterday. Pic by Zunnur Al Shafiq SYAFIQ Kamal knew he was better than what it said on paper as the national back-up squad player ousted last year's runner-up Asyraf Azan in the first round of the National Championships in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
The unseeded Syafiq set up a quarter-final meeting with title holder Nafiizwan Adnan after sending joint-fifth seed Asyraf spinning to a 13-11, 11-4, 11-3 defeat at the National Squash Centre.
After four runners-up finishes on the Malaysian Squash Tour, Syafiq, 20, finally landed his first PSA Tour title last month when he won the Malaysian Tour's fifth leg in Kangar.
That boosted Kelantan-born Syafiq's ranking to a career-high of No 129 as he looks to challenge the country's senior players with the scalping of former national player Asyraf, ranked as high as 53rd in the world in 2012, proving he is on the right track.
"I expected to win today because the pressure was on me as a full-time player. If I had lost I would have a lot to answer for," said Syafiq, who lost in the first round last year.
"I had to be mentally strong because he is known to try to psyche out his opponent. I was focused on what I had to do and didn't give him a chance to do anything.
"I was able to retrieve well and pick up everything he threw at me. I was well-prepared mentally to play him."
Syafiq now has an opportunity to test himself against Nafiizwan, who defeated Ng Jo Wen 11-6, 11-7, 117 and comes into the tournament having reached the last-16 of the World Championship recently.
"I have to play Nafiizwan next and it's going to be tough," said Syafiq. "In 2014, I lost to him in four games but his performance lately has been very good. I will play my best and learn as much as I can.
Another player to claim a seeded scalp was national junior Farez Izwan Mukhtar, who knocked out joint-third seed Elvinn Keo, who won the sixth leg of the Malaysian Tour last month, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8.
"I played well and a lot of my shots were good and my intensity was high as well," said Sabah's Farez, 18, who goes on to meet world junior champion Ng Eain Yow in the lasteight.
Men's second seed Ivan Yuen advanced comfortably by beating Marcus Sim 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 while top women's players Delia Arnold, Low Wee Wern, S. Sivasangari and Rachel Arnold progressed with little difficulty.