Young pair continue fine run to book a spot in q-finals

YOUNG Malaysian squash pair Rachel Arnold-S. Sivasangari continued their gallant run by reaching the women’s doubles quarter-finals in style.

They held their own against a partisan crowd at the Oxenford Studios by beating homesters Sarah Cardwell-Christine Nunn 10-11, 11-6, 11-5 yesterday.

The unseeded Rachel-Sivasangari, who are playing in their first tournament together, stunned top seeds and reigning world champions Joelle King- Amanda Landers- Murphy of New Zealand 11- 10, 11-10 in their opening Group A match on Tuesday.

With the win over eighth seeds Cardwell- Nunn, they finish as Group A champions.

They will take on England’s Laura Massaro-Sarah-Jane Perry.

World No. 42 Sivasangari is elated to have defied the odds.

“It was an intense match. We knew we really had to win this outright to make the quarter-finals,” said Sivasangari.

“We started badly as we followed SarahChristines pace and made a lot more errors.

“We slowed the game down and stuck to our game plan after that and we did better.

“I’m pleased to enter the quarter-finals because it’s our first time playing together and it’s quite an achievement.

“But it’s not the end yet. We want to do better as we’re not short on confidence and we’ve been communicating well on court,” added Sivasangari.

In the men’s doubles, the pair of Ng Eain Yow-Mohd Syafiq Kamal lost 4-11, 8-11 to England’s Daryl Selby- Adrian Waller in Group G but they will still qualify for the second round as they meet Uganda’s Michael Kawooya- Ian Rukunya in the deciding match today.