Aifa cruises into final with victory over Yiwen
KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteenyearold Aifa Azman can be optimistic about winning her second Malaysian Tour Squash Circuit (SSJM) title.
The sixth seed from Kedah needed just 17 minutes to end the fine run of seventh seed and compatriot Chan Yiwen in the semifinals of the SSJM No. 4 at the Royal Lake Club yesterday.
World No. 127 Yiwen, who stunned top seed and world No. 48 Ho Tze Lok of Hong Kong a day earlier, failed to shine in the semifinals and lost 611, 011, 511.
Aifa will face eight seed Lai Wen Li in the final.
Wen Li fended off a strong assault from Ma
Yi Si before prevailing 116, 611, 115, 118.
Aifa, who won the SSJM second leg last month, said the semifinals against Yiwen was a big anticlimax.
“I expected it to be tough but it wasn’t. She tried to make a comeback in the third set but I made sure that I won in straight,” said Aifa, who won the British Junior Open girls’ Under17 title in Birmingham last month.
“I’m happy with my performance and look forward to winning my second title.
“I defeated Wen Li in the first round of the SSJM first leg last month and I’m expecting another win although I won’t take her lightly,” said Aifa.
In the men’s competition, unseeded Elvinn Keo’s good run came to an abrupt end in the hands of top seed Tang Ming Hong of Hong Kong.
The 29yearold Elvinn, who works and trains on his own, went down 511, 611, 611 in 29 minutes.
He made some unforced errors in the semifinals but was still satisfied with his game.
“I reached the semifinals despite training only twice a week,” said Elvinn, the 2007 Korat SEA Games gold medallist.